The Treaty
by Lady Eowyn of Ithilien
Summary: AU - Unknowingly entangled in the politics of two noble clans, a young kunoichi tries to reconcile her familial duty with her own heart, unknowingly becoming the cause of a struggle between two brothers. They had been close all their lives; it shouldn't have been a surprise they would fall for the same woman. ItaHinaSasu ItaHina SasuHina ShikaIno
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**A Different Future**

**a.k.a. "We're not supposed to play in the zen garden."**

* * *

"Itachi, why do I have to _go_ to this stupid thing clan thing?"

Itachi chuckled dryly as he glanced sideways at his brother. He could easily understand why Sasuke was feeling so petulant. At six years old, the last thing an energetic young boy would wish for would be an afternoon of being introduced to the Konoha clan leaders, all the while constrained in a formal hakama.

As they passed over the red bridge which spanned the small creek separating the Uchiha district from the rest of Konoha, Sasuke stamped his feet sullenly. The August mid-afternoon sun was already high in the sky and the only creatures out of the curved bridge that afternoon were two small green frogs that hopped away in terror from the small boy's heavy sandals. Their mother glanced back at them, quirking an eyebrow.

Sasuke whined and tugged at the obi tied tightly around his waist. "And why do I have to _wear_ this thing! I look so... _stupid_."

Itachi tried to disguise his laugh with a cough. It came out as more of a snort.

When their father had informed Sasuke that he too would be attending the clan leaders' gathering at the Hyuga clan residence, his little brother had danced around the house with excitement for a whole week. He, Uchiha Sasuke, was _finally_ being recognized by his father! He would get to go with _Itachi_ and _father_ to a meeting with the other clan heads about _official_ Konoha business! It wasn't until he had seen the formal hakama that he was expected to wear that his excitement quickly turned into dread. Itachi didn't know for sure, but could have sworn that his mother had resorted to a genjutsu to keep Sasuke still for long enough to put the thing on.

Itachi was able to hear his little brother's horrified shouts from across the house. "I look like a _girl_!"

Taking advantage of his little brother's embarrassment like a good older brother, Itachi slipped into the room to assess the damage. With his delicate features, big dark eyes and all those yards of stiff striped silk, Sasuke looked rather like a doll. The only thing that ruined the impression was Sasuke's gaping mouth and horrified expression

"Sasuke, darling, you look absolutely precious," their mother cooed.

Itachi raised his eyebrows and tried to hide his smirk. Their mother was _not_ helping.

Sasuke looked wounded. "Shinobi aren't supposed to look precious," he muttered. He pouted at his brother. "I bet Itachi doesn't have to wear some stupid hakama."

Mikoto smiled kindly down at her mutinous offspring. "Itachi and your father will also be wearing hakama."

Sasuke looked unconvinced.

"Hey, Sasuke, if you wear your hakama to the clan leaders' meeting, I'll show you a new shuriken jutsu."

Sasuke frowned, not ready to give up the battle against formal wear so easily. "And a new fire jutsu."

Apparently, the thought of one on one training with his awesome big brother was not sufficient recompense for an afternoon of drowning in black and white striped silk and dealing with musty old ladies pinching his cheeks.

The hot August sun made the whole experience even more uncomfortable for Sasuke. He glanced out over the bridge, perhaps wondering if flinging himself off of it would be a suitable escape from the afternoon. The peaceful bubbling brook seemed to be laughing at him too.

"Stop laughing at me, aniki!"

Hearing Sasuke's whining from up ahead, Fugaku turned around with a fearsome scowl on his face. "You had better not shame me or the clan, Sasuke."

Sasuke looked down at his feet, completely mortified.

"We will be introducing your brother to the other clan heads as the next head of the Uchiha clan. If you embarrass him or me, you will sorely regret it."

"Yes, otousan," Sasuke said. Itachi had trouble hearing his frightened voice.

* * *

Hinata clutched onto the fabric of her mother's dark blue kimono. There were so many strangers standing around in their tea garden!

She had recognized the blonde girl in the sky blue kimono from the ninja academy. Ino was her name. She was friends with pink haired girl Sakura. Hinata would see them playing together in the park sometimes when her guard Ko would take her there. She had always been too shy to approach her two female classmates. Ino had tried to invite her to play with them several months ago, but Hinata was reduced to such a stuttering mess that Ino gave up.

Ino took Hinata by the hand and brought her to the little curved bridge spanning the koi pond where several other classmates she recognized were skipping stones.

"I like your kimono, Hinata-chan. Lavender is a really pretty color on you."

"Th...thank you."

Ino giggled.

Hinata recognized the two boys skipping stones. Ino called them Shikamaru and Choji. She didn't know the name of the other boy with the dark hair sitting a little off to the side. He was holding out a finger as if to catch a bee. The boys were all dressed in yakatas. Hinata was glad that Ino was dressed in a fancy kimono too, that way she didn't feel so overdressed.

"That's Shino," Ino chirped happily. "He likes bugs."

"H-Hello, everyone."

The boy Shino nodded at her in greeting. The chubby boy named Choji smiled shyly at her. The dark haired boy with his hair in a ponytail just grunted at her. These other children weren't so scary!

"Daddy says that I can't play in the sand garden over there, so I've been watching the fish," Ino explained.

"My f-father gets upset when I p-play in the zen garden too."

Ino nodded as she sat down by the water, dipping in a finger to pet an orange fish as it swam by. Looking up at Hinata, she beamed. "I like flowers. I was trying to tell Shikamaru about the pretty ones that you and your family have in your garden, but he wasn't listening to me."

"Troublesome," the other boy muttered. Ino stuck her tongue out at him.

"Do you like flowers, Hinata?"

"I'm sure that she doesn't want to hear about your flowers, Ino," grumbled the boy called Shikamaru.

"Shika! I didn't ask you! I was talking to Hinata!"

"I..I like flowers too," Hinata mumbled.

Ino's grinned sunnily. "Come sit down with me, Hinata."

The Hyuga heiress smoothed down her kimono and sat down next to her. The little koi fish had lost interest in the blonde girl's wriggling fingers. Taking her hand out of the water, Ino leaned back and pointed out several white flowers growing near them. "See those white flowers? They're spider lilies. Daddy says that they represent sweetness. And those pink ones with the dark pink inside by the tea house are called hibiscus. They mean gentleness. Isn't that neat?"

"What are th-those little blue ones near the zen garden called?"

"The blue ones? I think those are forget-me-nots." Ino giggled. "Daddy says that they mean true love!"

Hinata blushed.

Turning back to Hinata, Ino smiled. "I like you! You should play with me and Sakura at the academy!"

Hinata blinked in surprise. Never in her life had any of her classmates expressed such enthusiasm to play with her. Yes, Ino had invited her several times to play with them when they were in the park, but she always assumed that it was Ino's dad rather than Ino herself extending the invitation. Hinata was usually such a stuttering mess that other girls in class quickly gave up, not having the patience to deal with her. She knew that her mother was concerned that her older daughter was becoming painfully shy.

Yet here was Ino extending the invitation again, an invitation that she had extended so many times. Ino was just like that other blonde child at the academy, Uzumaki Naruto. Like Naruto, she was loud and exciting and wouldn't give up.

She was about to stutter out a reply when a shadow fell over her. She glanced up shyly at her mother. Mother was holding baby sister Hanabi in her arms. "Hinata, sweetheart, are you making friends with Inoichi's daughter Ino?"

"Yeah! Hinata and I are going to play together at the academy!" Ino answered for the both of them. "Is that baby your sister, Hinata? I've always wanted a little sister."

"Her name is Hanabi," said Hinata's mother, leaning down to show Ino the dark haired bundle sleeping in her arms.

"She's so tiny," Ino whispered.

"It was lovely to meet you, Ino-chan. I'm going to have to steal Hinata away from you for a while. We've just had a couple more guests arrive and Hinata should meet them.

"Okay." Ino shrugged. "I'll see you soon, Hinata!"

Hinata stood up and brushed off her kimono. Her mother tried to hide her frown. "Hinata, dear, that is your best kimono. Be careful not to get it dirty."

"I'm sorry, okaasan," Hinata said lowering her eyes.

"No need to apologize. I'm glad that you made a friend. Ino seems like a very nice girl. Ko said that she often asks you to play with her at the park. You should play with her next time."

"Y-yes, okaasan. I'll try."

As they walked away from the pond, Hinata could hear Ino yelling at Shikamaru. "Why won't you let me skip stones with you and Choji? I'm going to tell Aunt Yoshino if you don't!"

"Troublesome…"

* * *

Hinata's mother led her towards the zen garden that Ino had been talking about earlier. Her father was looking out at it, speaking with a dark haired man, a woman and their two sons. The older son was shaking father's hand while the younger son, another boy that she recognized from the Ninja Academy, was looking around the garden in awe. He caught her eye and smiled, the bright blue of the forget-me-nots reflecting in his dark eyes as he beamed at her.

Hinata noticed that the four members of the Uchiha clan were dressed very formally. The older man and his two sons were wearing black and grey striped hakamas similar to the Hyuga formal clothing her father wore. Their hakamas were proudly emblazoned with the red and white Uchiha fan, a stark contrast to the Hyuuga flame that her clan bore. Their mother's crimson kimono was very beautiful. It stood out among the sea of black and grey surrounding her.

As they walked towards the group, her mother explained. "Uchiha Fugaku is the head of the Uchiha clan. They are a very important clan in Konoha. His wife's name is Mikoto and their sons are Itachi and Sasuke. Sasuke goes to the ninja academy with you."

The man Fugaku turned to look at them as they approached. Hinata was startled by his stern expression and the deep frown lines scaring his face. His scowl was frightening to her. She clutched onto the silk of her mother's dark blue kimono.

"Akemi," said the woman whom mother called Mikoto. "It's good to see you again. Is this your new baby Hanabi? How old is she now?"

"Four months."

"I'm glad to see that you are both looking well."

"Thank you, Mikoto. Have you met my elder daughter Hinata?"

The Uchiha woman turned to smile gently at Hinata. "It's nice to meet you, Hinata-chan. My name's Mikoto. I'd like to introduce you to my two sons. This is Itachi and Sasuke."

The older brother crouched down until he was eye to her with her. He resembled his father a great deal; however, his face wasn't as mean as Fugaku's. His eyes were soft and his smile warm. He held out a hand to shake hers. She loosened her grasp on her mother's kimono long enough to shake it. "It's nice to meet you, Hinata."

The younger brother chimed in, "Hi, Hinata. It's nice to meet you."

"I-it's a pleasure to meet both of you."

The older brother stood back up and smiled at Hinata's mother. "It's nice to see you again, Hyuga-san. Mother speaks very highly of you."

Mikoto chuckled and with mischievously twinkling eyes said, "Those clan leader meetings can get to be so tedious, it's nice to have a partner in crime - I mean friend - there."

Akemi gave a small smile. She turned to the older brother. "I wanted to congratulate you, Itachi. I'm sorry that I was unable to attend the formal ceremony where you were announced as the heir to the Uchiha clan and the twentieth clan head."

"Thank you very much."

Sasuke was getting bored with all the clan talk. He took Hinata's hand to get her attention. She in turn looked at him in surprise. "Your big sandbox is really cool. Wanna go play in it?"

Fugaku frowned mightily.

"We're not s-supposed to play in the z-zen garden," Hinata whispered. She glanced up at Fugaku's thunderous expression in barely concealed terror.

Hinata's mother chuckled. "We don't usually play in the zen garden. However, I noticed that several of your other classmates are playing by the koi pond. Hinata darling, why don't you take Sasuke over to play with the other children? I'm sure that Ino-chan will be glad to play with you some more."

Sasuke's mother glanced over by the koi pond. "Ah yes, I see that Inoichi's daughter and Shikaku's son are playing over there with Choza's son and Shibi's son." Mikoto, intimately familiar with her husband's moods went in for the damage control. "Sasuke, you should go with Hinata-chan to play with them."

Hinata noticed that Sasuke was still holding her hand. She squeaked in surprise when he turned to her and said, "Let's go play, Hinata."

Hinata could hear their parents talking as they walked away. Her father was complementing Itachi on his recent appointment to the Konoha ANBU.

"Thank you, sir. Though it is amazing how quickly secret assignments become public."

"We are very proud of Itachi; though, I was hoping that he would follow my footsteps and join the Konoha Military Police Force."

Hinata looked up at the boy holding her hand. As if aware of her gaze, he glanced over at her. "Mother said that you attend the ninja academy too. I don't think that I've noticed you there before."

"Y-yes. I go to the academy too."

"I like to practice my jutsu with my brother after classes. You should practice with us next time. Itachi said that he is going to teach me a new shuriken jutsu."

"Th-thank you, though I w-would probably g-get in your way. Y-you're a much better ninja than m-me." Changing the subject, Hinata went on to apologize from the scene before. "S-sasuke, I'm sorry that I made your f-father upset. I s-shouldn't have said anything about the z-zen garden."

Sasuke looked uneasy. "He wasn't upset with you. He was mad at me for embarrassing him."

"E-embarrassing? That's silly. You are at the t-top of the class at the academy. I don't see how your father c-could be embarrassed of you."

Sasuke peered at her curiously. "You're nice, Hinata. Let's be friends."

* * *

"It's time, Itachi," said his friend Shisui. "Are you ready?"

Itachi closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "I'll never be ready. But now's as good a time as any."

He hated to admit it, but he had seen it coming. His father had become more and more demanding of his time and more and more suspicious of his ANBU assignments. He had been a captain in the ANBU for about two months now, but his father still resented the fact that he would have nothing to do with the Konoha Military Police Force. Fugaku was so obsessed with controlling his older son. It didn't help matters that Fugaku felt betrayed by Itachi.

Of course Itachi had told the Hokage about what was going on in those meetings in the Konoha Military Police Department late at night. Was it chance that his father's co-conspirators were also high ranking ninjas in the Police Department? Itachi would never know. The Konoha Military Police Force had been founded with the Uchiha clan in mind and once in a position of authority, it was almost impossible to oust the Uchiha from it.

"Another mission so soon, Itachi? Are you going to tattle to Hiruzen about our clan some more?" sneered his father.

"The clan, the clan, the clan. You must know by now, father, that I don't give a damn about the _Uchiha_ clan."

His father grabbed him by the silver breastplate of his ANBU uniform. His eyes flashed red with the Sharingan as he growled, "How dare you speak to me that way, Itachi! You, my son, are the next heir to the Uchiha clan. I'm of half a mind to remove that honor."

"Sometimes I wonder if you _do_ only have half a mind." Itachi smirked.

Fugaku slapped him hard across the face. "I will not be mocked. Sasuke might not be as strong a ninja as you are, but at least he's loyal to me. If you do or say anything again that makes me doubt your loyalty, I will make Sasuke the heir to the Uchiha clan. At least he will be easier to control."

Itachi could taste his own blood in his mouth. "You stay the hell away from Sasuke!"

Two months ago, Itachi had been almost certain that matters were about to come to a head. He had just been appointed as an ANBU captain. He had a sick feeling in his stomach that his first mission as a captain would have something to do with the Uchiha problem, as Shimura Danzo called it.

The bloodshed was able to be averted for some time, but the peace wouldn't last. The Hokage had tried to reconcile the Uchiha clan with the rest of Konoha. Itachi wasn't sure what decision they came to, but after the third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, locked himself in his office for three days with Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuga Hiashi, things seemed to calm down. One immediate change that Itachi saw was that one of their clansmen, Uchiha Kagami, was appointed to the Hokage's council.

Itachi's friend Uchiha Shisui was a great source of strength for him through it all. He confided in Itachi that the Uchiha conspirators had appointed him to spy on Itachi's movements. However, like Itachi, Shisui's allegiance was to Konoha first and the clan second. So when Itachi received the mission from the Hokage, Shisui was the first person he spoke to about it.

"You've got to be joking. The Hokage couldn't ask that of you. Your own father?"

Rubbing his tired eyes, Itachi nodded. "He wants me to dispose of all the conspirators."

"Do you need my help?"

* * *

He didn't fight his mother when she put him into the black yakama. He didn't have any fight left in him. At least, not since he heard the news that his father was dead.

During his seven years on this earth, the one thing that he wanted more than anything was to be acknowledged by his father. He wanted Fugaku to finally look at him with pride like he did with Itachi. Now that dream was dead, just like Sasuke's father.

They said that it was a terrible accident. His father and several of his other colleagues in the Konoha Military Police Department were at the office late into the night working on a police case. And there had been some kind of terrible accident. None of them had survived. One of the Konoha councilmen had been over to talk to them about the case and he had died too. Mother said that he was someone named Shimura Danzo. Sasuke didn't know him.

Sasuke knew that he was young. But he couldn't shake the feeling in his bones that something was wrong about the whole thing. He didn't think it was accident. But no one would listen to him. They all patted him on the head and said that they were sorry about his father. Sasuke had tried to talk to Itachi about it, but whenever he brought it up, Itachi would get a faraway look in his eyes and be completely unhelpful.

No doubt Itachi was busy with all the clan stuff. With their father dead, Itachi became the new head of the clan. He was only thirteen years old, so their mother was really involved with everything. In truth, she was the one really running things until Itachi turned eighteen and became old enough to legally make decisions for the clan by himself.

The day of the funeral finally rolled around. Sasuke had been dreading it. It was hot July day, two days before his birthday. He was sure that for the rest of his life he would always associate his birthday with his father's funeral.

His mother sat back of her heels and looked at him in the black yakama. Her face was very pale and sad. He put a hand to her face and said, "Mom, it's going to be okay."

The pained smile she gave him didn't reach her eyes.

The sound of soft footfalls in the room caused them both to turn. Itachi was leaning in the doorway. His eyes were so cold and sad. "It's time."

Sasuke couldn't remember much of the day. The only memory that stood out from among the rest was the feeling of his friend Hinata's hand in his at the gravesite, as he clutched it like a lifeline.

* * *

**A/N: Vocabulary:**

**Hakama – (From Wikipedia) ****the most formal type of men's **_**hakama**_** are made of stiff, striped silk, usually black and white, or black and navy blue. While hakama used to be a required part of men's wear, nowadays typical Japanese men usually wear hakama only on extremely formal occasions and at tea ceremonies, weddings, and funerals.**

**Aniki – older brother**

**Otousan – father**

**Yakata – (From Wikipedia) a ****light cotton summer kimono generally worn for relaxing, for sleeping, or at festivals or summer outings****.**

**Okaasan - mother**

* * *

**A/N: Please review!  
**


	2. Chapter One - An Awakening

**I'd like to thank NaviTheGoddess and piratequeen11 for their lovely reviews for the last chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter One**

**An Awakening**

**a.k.a "Am I in heaven?"**

* * *

_Nine years later…_

His eyelids felt like lead as he slowly fought them open. The bright white room slowly swam into focus as did the smiling face of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Gleaming crystal eyes beamed at him from a gentle pale face. Her midnight darkhair was twisted elegantly into a loose bun. Hardly aware of his movements, he reached up and smoothed his hand over her porcelain cheek in a light caress. She smelled wonderful, like lavender.

"Am I in heaven?" he wondered.

The angel blushed and stammered. There was a small chuckle from behind her and the noise of a chair creaking as someone shifted. A gloved hand removed his own hand from the angel's cheek to place it at his side. Frowning, Itachi glanced at the figure standing next to his angel - a forest green flak jacket over navy blue sweats and a senbon jauntily placed in a smirking mouth.

"Genma? But if you're here, I can't possibly be in heaven." Itachi realized.

There was a snort from behind Shiranui Genma and the angel. Itachi turned and blinked a couple of times when he saw the last figure in his hospital room. It was Nara Shikamaru who was dressed in the same fashion as Genma. Shikamaru slouched in his chair, striving to hide a grin at Itachi's remark.

What were two members of his ANBU squad doing here? And for that matter, where was the last one? Where was Neji? He tried to pull from the recesses of his mind the details of their last mission.

xxx

_His team had been scouting for details of the __Akatsuki's__ last known whereabouts when they were ambushed__. Unlike the criminal society they were hunting, these ten rogue ninja did not wear the Akatsuki's red cloud cloaks; however, they proudly bore the headbands of their villages scratched through the center to indicate their betrayal. During the fight, one of the rouge ninjas boasted that this was merely a training exercise - an entrance exam for the Akatsuki. In fact, Itachi recognized more than half of them from his Bingo book. Most were A-rank missing nins. Lovely._

_His teammates had done admirably well even through the odds weren't in their favor. Shikamaru was able to ensnare two in his shadow strangle jutsu before another snuck up behind him and knocked him unconscious. Genma, who was supposed to be guarding Shikamaru's back, had been taken by surprise by a poisoned kunai. Neji had killed one of their enemies with a gentle fist strike to the heart. He was in the midst of closing all of another's chakra points, when he was hit with a long range Lightening Style strike. _

_Itachi had no choice. His teammates wouldn't last much longer if he drew out this battle. At least one of them was in need of immediate medical attention. It pained him to do so, but he used his __Mangekyō Sharingan. The remaining rouge ninjas were trounced easily, not standing a chance against the power of Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan. However he knew it came at a terrible price. _

_Coughing blood and thoroughly exhausted, Itachi fell to his knees. He could barely make out the features of Genma's face before a dark curtain fell over his eyes and he was lost to oblivion. _

xxx_  
_

So he must now be in the hospital. Indeed Genma did have his arm in a sling. Now that he thought about it, his angel was wearing a medical coat. She stuffed her hands in the large pockets and tilted her head to peer down at him. Her white medical coat was open revealing a lilac-colored tunic and pair of knee length black pants. She had a lovely figure. Was she a doctor? Was she his doctor?

"What happened?" Itachi wondered as he sat up.

Genma quirked an eyebrow. "After you swooned?"

"I didn't swoon. I…fainted," groused Itachi.

His angel giggled.

Genma started to explain. "After you got rid of the rest of them with your weird Sharingan jutsu and swooned – okay, I'll play your game, fainted – our team was in pretty bad shape. I was the best off out of all of us, so I carried you back to Konoha. We killed all but one of the rogue nins and brought the last one back for questioning. He's with Inoichi and Ibiki now."

"Where's Neji? Is he okay?" asked Itachi.

His angel replied, "Hyuga-san doing fine. He's in the other room resting. The lightening jutsu that he took did some damage, but he'll be fine."

Itachi looked over at Gemna curiously. "I thought you were poisoned."

"No need to look so disappointed. It was nothing the lovely Shizune couldn't handle. It was a fairly common poison; you actually had an antidote in your pack that I was able to use before we got to Konoha. I might not have made it to Konoha if we didn't have the antidote on hand. Luckily you and Shikamaru have an uncanny ability to think ten steps ahead of anyone else."

Shikamaru shifted in his chair. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine. Great, actually. I can _see_ so clearly," said Itachi, putting a hand in front of his face.

He knew that the Mangekyō Sharingan was a dangerous technique and he did so when he had no other choice, when the lives of his comrades were in danger. It had a terrible effect on his chakra reserves and eyesight. Itachi had been partially blind before he set out on his previous mission. It seemed inevitable that he would have lost his eyesight entirely when he awoke.

Looking out at his comrades again, he was dumbfounded. He could see them so clearly. It had been years since his eyesight had been this good. Then again, he wasn't sure if his eyesight had ever been this good. It was a miracle!

And not only that, he felt healthy. Better than he had in years. He had been suffering from a chronic illness for several years now. The pain in his chest had become an old friend. Coughing up blood had become a habit. But no more.

"How?" he asked.

It was the angel in the medical coat who responded. Her voice was soft and relaxing. "When Shiranui-san brought you in, you were weak from chakra exhaustion. When I tended to you, I noticed a blockage behind your eyes likely from Sharingan overuse. I was able to remove the blockage, so your eyesight should be back to normal."

"Amazing!"

"I know a great deal about Dojutsu being a Byakugan user. I understand how trying it would be to lose such a skill."

"Thank you," Itachi whispered.

She gave him the most beautiful smile, her crystal eyes beaming at him. "Some of the blockage behind your eyes had migrated to other areas of your chakra network. I was able to remove them as well. A great number of them had settled in your lungs. I was surprised that this was not mentioned on your charts. Symptoms of this should have manifested already: weakness, trouble breathing and the like. I was also able to remove those clots. I would like you to return frequently so I can make sure there is no lasting damage from the chakra clots. I'll speak to the receptionist to create a biweekly appointment for the next six months," Hinata explained.

"Of course," Itachi replied. What luck! He would have to return to see her _frequently_.

Smiling, she left the room with a nod. Itachi watched her go with his mouth gaping slightly open. There was a snicker from beside him, causing him to turn and silence Genma with a terrible scowl.

"What!" snapped Itachi.

"Someone's got a crush." Genma teased.

"Shut up, Genma," Itachi muttered half-heartedly not even bothering to deny it. "Who is she? One of the Hyuga clan, no doubt." He paused for a minute realizing something. "She didn't have the cursed seal on her forehead. She must be from the main house then. I wonder if she knows Neji."

"She was in my class at the academy," said Shikamaru voice from the chair. He stood smoothly with a careless shrug. "Neji's her cousin."

"Is she seeing anyone?" asked Itachi.

"You're hopeless."

"Not that I know of," said Shikamaru. "But then again she's…"

"Excellent," Itachi interrupted Shikamaru. "What's her name?"

"Hyuga Hinata, the heiress of the Hyuga clan."

"Heiress?" gasped Itachi in horror. If he was the head of the Uchiha clan and she was the heiress of the Hyuga clan, then…

"Yep," said Genma. "Sorry, mate. It's impossible."

Itachi frowned. It was impossible. She would have to marry within her clan and he would have to marry within his own. It was their duty. But then again, Itachi was an old hat at the impossible. They said it was impossible to master the Sharingan at eight years old. Not a problem. They said it was impossible to become an ANBU captain at thirteen. Piece of cake. Impossible to marry the heiress of the Hyuga clan? Itachi wasn't afraid of a challenge.

"Uh, Itachi?" muttered Shikamaru.

Genma stage whispered to their young Nara comrade, "I have a feeling something bad is going to happen. It's never a good sign when he gets that manic look in his eyes, Shikamaru. Trust me."

* * *

"This is all we got, Sasuke," said Inuzuka Hana. "By now I'd imagine that you have the whole file memorized."

It had become a yearly ritual since he turned thirteen. One had to be a chunin level shinoibi to access police files. If there hadn't been a restriction, Sasuke would probably have gone years earlier. So every July on the anniversary of his father's death, he went to view the file. It also happened to be the week before his birthday.

He had been cocky at thirteen and thought he could handle it. He was a ninja; he had killed people on missions. He could look at the case file about his father's death. The reports were detailed, but cold and professional. It was the pictures that threw him. The damage had been so great, that Sasuke hadn't been allowed to see his father's body. Looking at the pictures, he now knew why.

He had closed the file savagely and ran outside to clutch the railing as he lost his lunch in the bushes. It would be a year before he went back to look at the file again.

Hinata went with him the second time and almost every time since. They had been training and he had let slip that he was thinking about going back, but was afraid to. She had gladly offered to give up an afternoon to sit with him in the police station while he read through the file. The second time he went, his hands were trembling. Hinata took his hand in hers and squeezed it reassuringly. Her warm hand was all that kept him from spiraling off into despair. Her quiet support had meant a lot to him.

He would never let her look at the pictures; she would never press him.

Hana pulled up a chair and sat down backwards on it across the table from him. Hana had been new the military police force when he had come in all those years ago to read his father's case files, so the department head had assigned Inuzuka Hana to "babysit" Sasuke when he made this yearly pilgrimage to view the files. Six years later, she was one of the head detectives on the force, but she always spared one July afternoon to look through the files with him.

The Konoha Military Police Department was housed in a beautiful four story building on the edge of the Uchiha compound. It rivaled the Hokage's building in majesty. The original building, dating back to the time of the second Hokage, had been badly damaged in the explosion that had killed Sasuke's father. Thus a new building, sponsored by the village, had been constructed soon after the accident.

The new building with its beautiful stone veneer was much larger than the original. Nearly twice the size it had been during the second Hokage's reign, the new building accommodated the growing Military Police force. The entire first floor was comprised of a large auditorium with smaller conference rooms along the perimeter. The Military Police shared the auditorium with the rest of the village. It was just as common to have Military Police meetings in the auditorium as it was to have town hall meetings or meetings of the entire shinoibi force. Hana's department, Investigations shared the third floor with the Security Department and Controlled Substances Department.

She would usually let him and Hinata sit at her desk - now her office - to review the files, but she was currently working on high profile murder case from a nearby village that required confidentiality. Like the Konoha ninjas, the Konoha Military Police force was sometimes assigned cases from nearby villages when their own police forces were out of their depth. So Hana Inuzuka's office was cluttered with crime scene photos and schematics that Sasuke wasn't permitted to see.

Therefore, Sasuke was hunkered down in one of the smaller interrogation rooms on the third floor. It was very utilitarian, unadorned cement walls with a table and chairs placed in the middle of the room. There was a one-way mirror on the left wall and no windows. Not a particularly fun place to spend a summer afternoon.

Two of her dogs were relaxing calmly at under the table at her feet. The third Haimaru brother had padded over to stand next to Sasuke, peering at him curiously. Hana's three dogs were wolfish in appearance and had grown quite large since Sasuke had first met them. The one standing next to him was able to look him in the eye from where Sasuke was sitting at the table.

Sasuke stared back at the dog. "What's he want?" he asked Hana.

Hana looked surprised. "Oh, he's just wondering where Hinata is. She usually comes with you."

"Oh," said Sasuke simply.

When Hinata had come with him to the police office, she would usually stop by to see Hana and play with her three ninja dogs. The three Haimaru brothers knew Hinata as one of Hana's brother's pack and always greeted her with slobbery kisses.

"She's still on her shift at the hospital." Sasuke shrugged.

"Yeah," Hana replied. "I was sorry to hear that your brother is in the hospital. Do you know if he's going to be alright?"

"I stopped by this morning with my mother. Hinata said that he's doing much better, should probably wake up tomorrow or the next day."

"That's good."

"Yeah. The whole clan was pretty worried when they heard. Mother and I have been running damage control."

Hana slid a packet of the papers over to her side of the table and took off the paperclip. Leafing through them, she said, "Well the case seems pretty cut and dry. No evidence of ninjutsu on the site. No foreign chakra residue. No one else had been there for hours except those six men. The gas leak was legitimate, no evidence of tampering. Inabi was a smoker. All that was needed was a spark. It was a tragic accident. Case closed."

"There has to be something else to it. I'm certain of it."

"You're too close to it, Sasuke. You and I both know that emotions tend to adversely influence good detective work."

"But why were they there so _late_?" Sasuke wondered. "Why those five police officers?"

"Many people tend to stay late here to finish work on cases." Hana shrugged.

"But they all were in different departments. They shouldn't have had a reason to all be in the same room at the same time."

"They were heads of several of the divisions in the Department. It could have been an impromptu managerial meeting for all we know. It wasn't unusual for those five to stay late at the same time. It had happened many times before."

"What about the gas leak? That's suspicious," Sasuke continued.

"The building hadn't been inspected in over a year. There weren't as many controls in place as there are now."

"What about the guy with the lighter who started it? Inabi's wife said in her statement that Inabi was giving up smoking. He had stopped."

"It's easy enough to relapse, especially when working on a stressful case."

"How much chakra do you have to emit to leave a residue? What about if someone else was there but suppressing their chakra?"

"We had our best sensors at the site. They would have been able to detect even the smallest amount of chakra. If first year academy student walked through the room, we would have known about it."

"What about if it was a Hyuga clan member who had emptied out their chakra and closed all their chakra points? That wouldn't leave any residue."

"True, but they'd also be dead."

"Damn, you're right. What if someone emptied out all of their chakra and replaced it with one of the victim's chakras?"

"That would theoretically be possible," said Hana. "But it would also be very dangerous."

"You're trained as a medic nin. What do you know about chakra transfers and transfusions?"

"Personally, my expertise if veterinary medicine, but the concepts are theoretically the same. Chakra transfers and infusions can be very dangerous. When a medic nin operates on someone, they force their chakra into the patient's body to heal internal and external wounds." Hana held up her hands as they glowed green with medical ninjutsu. "If we were in battle and you broke a bone or punctured a lung, I would force my medical ninjutsu into your body to heal the internal or external wound."

She folded her hands on the table, no longer glowing with chakra. "Now if your injury caused a massive hemorrhage, we would have to do a quick blood transfusion or have you take a blood increasing pill. I assume that you know the dangers associated with each of those options."

"Yes," Sasuke said. "With the blood transfusion, you need to be sure that the blood you are using doesn't carry any diseases and you also have to make sure that it is the same as your blood type, otherwise your body will reject it. The blood increasing pull stimulates the bone marrow in your body to create blood cells at an increased rate. This can help replenish the blood you lost, but there's also a risk of serious internal bleeding. So is it the same with chakra transfers? You need to have the same chakra type? Do people with fire natures need to do transfers to other people with fire natures?"

"Not necessarily. There's not really a danger of someone rejecting a foreign chakra. However, it's theoretically impossible to completely replace your chakra with someone else's. When you get a blood transfusion, the new blood will mix with your own blood. It's the same with chakra transfusions. Your chakra will mix with the new chakra added to your body. To completely replace your chakra, you need to completely empty out all of your own chakra and then replace it with another person's."

"I see now. So in completely emptying out your chakra, you would kill yourself."

Hana nodded.

"What is you did several transfusions? Almost emptied your chakra, replaced it with your victim's. Then emptied out again and replaced again?"

Hana nodded impressed. "That's a good theory. However, you will still retain a very small piece of your own chakra mixed throughout. A good sensor would notice."

"Was the sensor at the crime scene good?" wondered Sasuke.

Leafing through the papers, she replied, "He was a member of the Hyuga clan of middling tenure within the Military Police, a stickler for the rules if I remember correctly and very thorough. He would have noticed, no doubt. Unfortunately he passed away on a mission soon after, so you wouldn't be able to follow up with him about it."

"I see," Sasuke muttered.

Hana slid the papers back to Sasuke. "It's the names of the deceased that keep running through my head. Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Inabi, Uchiha Tekka, Uchiha Yakumi, Uchiha Yashiro and _Shimura_ Danzo. Why Danzo? What was he doing there? And his timing was very unfortunate. He arrived only minutes before the explosion."

"So a murder-suicide?" wondered Sasuke.

"I don't know. All the other variables can be explained, more or less. Danzo is the only element out of place. We just assume it was an unfortunate coincidence, but maybe not."

Having learned all that he could, Sasuke thanked Hana. He passed her the case files, which she tucked under one arm. Pulling open the door to the interrogation room, Sasuke let Hana and her dogs pass through first before following.

They had not gone three steps before Uchiha Kenta stepped out of the small dark room that was on the other side of the one-way mirror in their interrogation room. Kenta had taken over as head of the Konoha Military Police after Fugaku's death. He was a middle age jonin-level ninja with a stern face but a quick smile. Under him, the Police Department had flourished and reached even greater heights than when it had been under Fugaku's command.

"Thank you, Hana. If you don't mind, I'd like to have a word with Sasuke alone."

"Yes, sir. Goodbye, Sasuke, and happy birthday."

Sasuke smiled at her. "Thank you again, Hana. I really appreciate it."

Hana nodded to him and Kenta and walked back towards her office with her dogs trailing in her wake. Sasuke followed Kenta into the dark room where the Military Police Head had been standing only minutes before.

Kenta cleared his throat. "You know that Itachi doesn't like you coming here and reading those files."

"Did he ask you not to let me see them?"

"No. He wouldn't do that."

"Yeah," Sasuke said. "I know he wouldn't." Itachi was a great believer in letting people think for themselves. Ironically, that hadn't been a trait that their father had valued.

"He's the clan head, you should listen to him."

"He's also my older brother, which makes it infinitely more difficult."

"Point taken." In the dark, Sasuke could feel Kenta's clever dark eyes on him. Kenta continued, "I was impressed with your detective work in there, Sasuke. The Military Police would greatly benefit from having you on the force."

"Are you making me another offer for a job?"

Kenta chuckled. "I'm persistent if nothing else. If you ever change your mind about ANBU and would like to join the Investigation Department, the offer will still be standing for you."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "I'm touched by your faith in my abilities and I will consider your offer. However, for the moment I am perfectly happy in ANBU."

"I thought that you would say that. You're much like your brother in that respect. Well I wish you all the best. Happy birthday, son."

"Thank you."

* * *

He saw her once more before he was released from the hospital later that afternoon. She strolled in just as he was pulling on his sandals. His ANBU vest, arm guards and mask were carefully tucked away in his bag, though he still wore the sleeveless black undershirt and pants common among members of the ANBU.

Hinata noticed for the first time the spiral black ANBU tattoo on his left shoulder. It gave him a decidedly dangerous vibe. She had to admit that it was pretty sexy. Picking up her clipboard, she jotted down one last thing before walking up to him. "If you don't mind, I'd like to take one last look at your eyes before you leave."

"Sure," he replied, leaning back nonchalantly.

She sat down next to him, placing his chart on the table beside his bed. "I'm sorry, but I'll have to sit pretty close and use my Byakugan. Is that alright?"

"I don't mind," he replied, sitting up straight.

She cleared her throat before leaning in to stare into his eyes. He stared right back unabashedly, his dark eyes burning into hers with a surprising intensity. She was utterly aware of how close they were. The outside of her thighs pressed right up against his. Her hands were tightly clasped in her lap. She didn't know where else to put them. This had been much less awkward when he had been unconscious.

She could feel her face heating up in an unmistakable Hinata Hyuga blush. She could almost hear her friend Ino's voice in her head commanding: _Stop Hinata! Control yourself. You are a professional medical ninja, a professional and renowned medical ninja, _said the voice that sounded like Ino. _It doesn't matter that you are staring deep into the eyes of a dangerously sexy ANBU captain, you are a professional. Act like it. No more blushing._

"Byakugan!" she said.

She leaned in closer to study the microscopic chakra pathways. It was very distracting how his light breaths brushed over her lips.

As she worked, her focus needed to be so controlled on the almost microscopic chakra pathways to Itachi's eyes that she didn't have the time to worry about how close she was getting to him.

They sat staring deep into each other's eyes for several minutes before she finally sat back, releasing her Byakugan. She scooted away from him imperceptibly. Snatching the clipboard sitting on the table beside the bed, she jotted down some more notes.

Itachi stared at her dark head bent over her clipboard and licked his lips.

She glanced back at him from under her eyelashes and he hoped he hadn't been caught staring. "Alright, I'd like you to activate your Sharingan now, so I can see how your chakra pathways are behaving under that stress."

"Sure," said Itachi.

He activated his Sharingan and she activated her Byakugan. The process this time was much similar to how it had been the previous time. Their bodies pressed closely together and their faces only centimeters apart. However, this time Hinata got more flustered. There was just something eerie about the Sharingan. She felt like he was staring right through her, like he could look straight into her soul. Like all of her thoughts, desires and secrets were laid bare before his crimson eyes. Though to be fair, that was probably how others felt when she looked at them with the Byakugan or when Ino turned her pupil less blue eyes in someone's direction.

She hadn't really noticed, but her balance was a little off this time as she leaned into him to get a better look at his eyes. She was trying to see the almost microscopic chakra pathways behind his eyes, so it was unavoidable.

Itachi, as he stared back into her eyes, must have noticed that she was losing her balance. Though his solution was not really very effective all things considered. He put his palm lightly on her thigh to help right her balance. This surprised Hinata so much that she did lose her balance and fell against his chest.

Instinctively, Itachi clutched her protectively. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and her face heating up. "Are you alright?" Itachi whispered. "I'm sorry if I startled you. I was trying to steady you so you wouldn't lose your balance."

Hinata was mortified. Of course even his voice was sexy. Life just wasn't fair. She hid her face in his chest in embarrassment. After a beat, she pulled back from him, choosing not to mention that his hand now rested lightly on her knee. It was just too awkward and not entirely unpleasant.

She rattled off her observations to him. "Everything appears fine while under the normal Sharingan. There's more strain on your chakra pathways which can be expected from any type of dojutsu. However, it doesn't explain what caused that blockage that I encountered when you were admitted to the hospital." She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "If you don't mind, could you perform the Mangekyō Sharingan for me?"

"Sure," replied Itachi agreeably. All in the name of science! He really liked this checkup.

"Byakugan!"

She leaned in again with his palm still warm against her thigh. She didn't realize, but she put her own palm on his thigh to help steady herself. He let out a shocked hiss in response.

"Can you release your Mangekyō Sharingan now?"

He hadn't even held the Mangekyō Sharingan for a minute before she told him to stop. But she hadn't released her Byakugan yet. In the previous two tests they had released their dojutsus at the same time. They stayed in that position for a few more minutes as she continued staring into his eyes.

"Hm," she muttered, her warm breath ghosting over his parted lips. He felt a small blush stain his face. She shifted away from him and they each removed their hands from one another. She jotted down some more notes on his chart. "Just as I expected."

She put down her pen and looked at him gravely. "It's the Mangekyō Sharingan technique that has been affecting your eyesight as you certainly realized earlier. While this technique is very powerful, it is extremely taxing on both your body and your eyes. It calls forth so much chakra that some of the chakra pathways are starved of chakra to continue fueling the technique. Not only that, the vast flood of chakra is too great for the chakra pathways feeding your eyes to handle. While you perform the technique and even afterward, these 'chakra clots' build up in the chakra pathways in and around your eyes. Repeated use of the technique creates new clots and dislodges existing ones to migrate around your chakra network."

Itachi looked down at his hands. His Uchiha signet ring gleamed brightly on his right hand. It was difficult to hear the one thing you had feared above all others spoken as truth. She put her right hand on top of his. Like him, she wore her clan's ring on her right hand.

"I'm sure you've already realized this, but I cannot emphasize it enough. You should avoid using this technique at all costs."

Itachi sighed. "Though if you are able to cure the damage inflicted by the Mangekyō Sharingan. why can't I perform it with more regularity?"

Hinata frowned. "I thought you would say that. This time I was able to fix the clots, but there's no telling that if at some point in the future it will be out of my power to do so. It doesn't make sense to destroy yourself in battle hoping that you haven't done any irreparable damage. However, if you do use the Mangekyō Sharingan, it would be best if you come to the hospital so that I can look you over as soon as possible. The procedure I used is experimental; it's not perfect. In this case the remedy is just as dangerous as the poison, so I would prefer not to have to perform this procedure with any regularity."

"Alright," agreed Itachi.

With the bag stuffed full of ANBU equipment tossed over his shoulder, Itachi strolled through the front door to his mother's house. He had moved into an apartment above the Uchiha Senbei shop a couple years back, but he wanted to stop by home to assure his mother that he was alright before heading to his apartment. He wondered why she or Sasuke hadn't been at the hospital when he awoke.

"Sasuke, is that you, hon? Can you come to the kitchen to help me with something?" said his mother from one of the inside rooms.

"It's me, mother," Itachi called back.

There was the sound of something dropping and then his mother was on him in a flash, throwing herself into his arms in a hug. "Itachi! I didn't know you were out of the hospital. Then again, I didn't even know you had woken up. The nurses at the hospital said that you won't be awake for at least another couple days."

"I woke up this afternoon," Itachi answered the unasked question.

"I'm sorry we weren't there when you woke up. I was at the hospital in the morning with your brother, but we left after lunch time."

"There's no need to apologize."

Mikoto stepped back and put a hand to her son's face. "How are you feeling? Genma told me that you had to use the Mangekyō Sharingan again. How's your eyesight?"

"My eyesight is completely back to normal. It's even better than it was before I awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan."

"How? That should be impossible!"

"I know," said Itachi with equal enthusiasm. "I can hardly believe it myself. My doctor at the hospital was able to cure it somehow. She's the heiress to the Hyuga clan."

"Hyuga Hinata? She's a lovely girl. She's good friends with your brother, you know."

"I didn't realize," replied Itachi. "But she was able to see things with her Byakugan that none of my other doctors were able to. She said the blindness was caused by "chakra clots" in my chakra network. She was able to remove them."

"Remarkable!" she replied.

"Did I miss any clan business while I was out?"

Mikoto sighed. "We have a lot of damage control to deal with. Sasuke and I did the best we could, but the clan's very upset."

"This is about ANBU, isn't it?"

"Yeah. You know that they've never liked the fact that you are an ANBU captain. Conflict of Interest, uncertainty about your loyalty to the clan versus the village and the danger associated with your missions."

"They've been complaining about my captaincy in the ANBU for almost ten years now. I've dismissed their concerns before, why would I start listening now?"

"You've never been hurt before."

"Never enough to be hospitalized," Itachi corrected. "And the hospitalization was more related to my mysterious chronic illness than to injuries from my mission."

"Well the three of us have been hiding this chronic illness from the clan for several years now. It wouldn't be a wise choice to bring it up now as a way to excuse your ANBU involvement," Mikoto chided.

"You're right."

"And it sounds as if Hyuga Hinata has discovered a treatment for your illness, so hopefully it won't be as much of a concern in the future."

"Yep. You'll have to deal with me for several years more now."

Mikoto's eyes swam with the unshed tears that she had been holding in since she first heard of his hospitalization. "You have no idea what this means to me. I'd thought that I'd lost you."

Itachi pulled her into a hug. "Everything's going to be alright, mother. Do I need to hold a clan meeting? What have you done so far?"

Mikoto wiped her eyes. She had the grace not to blow her nose in his shirt. "Nothing official. A clan meeting would be the best course of action. We need to assuage their doubts."

Itachi looked at his mother. "What do you think? Do you think I should be an ANBU captain?"

"Speaking as an Uchiha clan member or as your mother?"

"As my mother."

Mikoto sighed. "I don't know."


	3. Chapter Two - Matters of Succession

**A/N: A special thanks to everyone who reviewed: dumdeedum, Sasha545 and blackmoon124**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

**Matters of Succession**

**a.k.a "It's like something straight out of Icha Icha."**

* * *

It was an immense domed structure built into a mountainside to the north of Konoha, known to the clan as their secret meeting place. A fortress more suited for defending against a siege than for hosting a simple Uchiha clan meeting. Though, the belligerent stares of their clansmen promised that this would be anything but a simple clan meeting.

The structure may have been secret generations ago before the founding of Konoha, but it was secret no longer. Hidden rooms bearing tapestries and frescos were scattered throughout the building. They revealed their secrets only to the clan's red eyes.

The Uchiha clan guarded its secrets zealously, so this meeting took place outside the village just as the sun was rising. In this way, the clan members could return to their usual routine in the village with no one the wiser.

In the center of the building there was a large room where the clan often held meetings. As their clan has grown through the years, the large room was now cramped with clan members elbowing each other for space. Several of the oldest and best respected members sat to the front of the room, Uchiha Kagami front and center. One of the oldest members of the clan and a member of the Konoha small council, Kagami was almost equal to the clan head in importance. The retired shinoibi knew this fact well.

To the front of the room was a raised dais with an ancient stone throne sitting alone in the center. Itachi sat on the throne looking very stiff and formal despite the fact he was wearing the standard black shirt and pants common to Konoha shinobi. The Uchiha fan was prominent on the sleeves of his black shirt instead of the Uzushiogakure swirl common to the other ninja's fatigues. As his brother's heir, Sasuke sat to Itachi's right up on the dais as well. Their mother sat down in the crowd to the left of Kagami.

Itachi nodded imperceptibly to Sasuke. Itachi typically relied on Sasuke to lead clan meetings as his representative. It would be good practice for when Sasuke took over the clan. During the time of Itachi's illness, the Uchiha prodigy had expected this even to happen very soon. However, recent developments may have changed that.

Sasuke's voice commanded the attention of all gathered in the room. "The clan meeting will come to order. Uchiha Kagami as the clan's representative will present the main issues that we will discuss. Afterwards we will allow any clan member to present individual issues after our main discussion has ended. Kagami, if you please."

Sasuke glanced sideways at his brother. Itachi sent him a quiet smile.

Kagami was a relic of the past, having fought side by side with Senju Tobirama and Sarutobi Hirzuen in the First Great Shinobi World War. With wispy white hair and a slight limp from an old injury, he could be easily dismissed if not for his hard eyes and stern expression. Kagami was confident in his power but he was not a tyrant. Ten years ago when the Uchiha had attempted to seize power in Konoha, Kagami had taken no part in the coup d'état.

Kagami rose to his feet, relying on his cane. "The clan has only one item to discuss with the clan head at present: our concern with Itachi's participation in the ANBU Black Ops. The clan is only one failed mission away from ruin as both our clan head and his heir are part of this secret organization. This same organization forbids us from knowing anything about the missions and dangers our clan head and our heir face. After losing your father, our previous clan head, in a tragic accident at the Military Police, we have finally learned caution. The clan strongly recommends that one or both of you retire from the ANBU."

Itachi, Sasuke and Mikoto had known that this would be the issue raised by the clan, so they had several hours to prepare a response to this demand.

Itachi stood up from the stone chair that he had sat stiffly in and spoke for the first time. "Kagami, I thank you and the clan for bringing this issue to us. The item has been heavily debated for nearly the ten years that I have been a member of the ANBU. However, this is the first time that the clan has demanded that my younger brother and heir, Sasuke, step down from his position in the ANBU as well. I cannot speak for Sasuke. I can only speak for myself. However, for many years I have paid great attention to Sasuke's training and I can assure you that my brother is one of the strongest shinobi in the clan, the village and the fire country.

"While Sasuke and I are not permitted to discuss our missions and affiliations within ANBU, I can tell you that we are on separate squads. Thus one failed mission will not kill us both so I can say that we have hedged some of our exposure to danger."

Uchiha Kagami nodded and spoke again, "We are glad that you have taken some steps to assuage our doubts. However, Itachi, the news of your recent hospitalization has shaken us to the core. It opened our eyes to the fact that despite your reputation, you are still human and fallible - a truth that you would do well to remember."

Itachi chuckled wryly. He answered, "I thank you for your concern, Kagami. I will keep that in mind."

A man and his son were standing behind Kagami. Their black spiky hair was reminiscent of the pictures Itachi had seen of Kagami in the man's prime. They must be Kagami's son and grandson. The dark haired man stood and put a hand on his father's shoulder. When he spoke, he didn't utilize the same respect towards Itachi that his father had in their conversation.

"You are laughing at us, _clan leader_," he spat. "I can see you and your brother are not taking our concerns seriously."

Sasuke stood beside his brother. "I must contradict you there, Masaru. My brother and I are taking these concerns very seriously. We-"

"You are just a child!" Masaru said angrily. "How could you possibly understand?"

"I am not a child. I am a shinobi."

"I will say in turn, that you do not seem to be taking our skills very seriously, Magaru," Itachi joined in. "My brother and I are both capable shinobi."

Kagami nodded respectively at Itachi. "This we understand. However, we believe that there are other ways that you can be of use to the clan and the village besides as a captain in the ANBU. Your friend Shisui recently retired from the ANBU to take on students. My grandson is one of his students and greatly benefits from Shisui's experience. I think it is quite time that you retire from the ANBU and consider taking on students yourself, Itachi. None one can deny that you are a very powerful shinobi. Isn't it time for you to pass on your knowledge to the next generation? There's not a father or mother here who wouldn't jump at the chance to have you as sensei for their child. This is the clan's proposal. We believe that the Hokage will find it agreeable."

"When I am ready to take on students, I will. However, I am not ready at this time."

Kagami frowned. "If you will persist in the manner, we will have no choice but to take countermeasures. Until the time comes when either you or your brother retires from ANBU, we will insist that you nominate a second heir. This will provide stability to the clan."

"My father had no other sons."

"Then perhaps it is time for you to father some of your own with a woman of our clan."

* * *

Perched on one of the tall walls of her flower and herb garden in the middle of the Hyuga compound, Hinata pulled her knees up to her chest and gazed down with a smile at the practice grounds in the Hyuga compound. It was early in the morning, so she hadn't yet gotten fully dressed. She still wore the shorts and tank top she had worn to bed, though she had thrown her purple sweatshirt over her shoulders.

She smiled wryly. She hadn't even bothered to get dressed, yet her cousin was already practicing in the courtyard with four other jounin from the branch house. Neji wore black pants and a black sleeveless shirt, with his ANBU tattoo visible on his shoulder.

She turned as another person jumped onto the ledge beside her.

"Good morning, father."

Hyuga Hiashi smiled at his oldest daughter. It seemed that as she grew older, she began to resemble his beloved late wife more and more. It was almost painful to look at Hinata sometimes, she reminded him so much of her mother.

"Neji has become quite powerful," he remarked. "He had really flourished in the ANBU. He may surpass me soon."

Hinata quirked her head to the side, her midnight black hair cascading across one shoulder. She put a hand on her father's shoulder. "You're not giving yourself enough credit, father. You're the strongest ninja in the Hyuga clan."

Hiashi smiled at her sadly. "I'm getting older, Hinata. I won't be the head of the Hyuga clan forever."

Hinata looked down at her hands, trying to avoid his gaze. "I know that, father. I am working to become stronger, to become the heiress that the clan can be proud of, that you can be proud of."

Hiashi lifted her chin with one hand, forcing her to look at her. "You and I both know that it will not be enough. Fate was cruel to have you born first. You'll never be as strong as Hanabi."

"But…"

"Hinata," he interrupted. "You're going to turning eighteen in only a few months. On your birthday, if I see fit, I will officially proclaim you to be the next head of the Hyuga clan."

"And Hanabi will have the cursed seal placed on her forehead," Hinata whispered sadly.

Hiashi frowned at his gentle daughter. "You shouldn't worry about what happens to Hanabi if you become Clan Head. You should be more concerned about what would happen if you don't prove yourself worthy."

Hinata looked up at him. "Will I have to defeat you in battle?"

Hiashi shook his head. "No, you'll have to defeat Hanabi."

"Hanabi?" Hinata gasped in surprise. "If she defeats me then she'll become your heir and I'll receive the cursed seal?"

"Perhaps. Your cousin Neji is currently the Head of the Branch house and we'll have to decide if we would like you to be part of the branch family."

"But if I'm defeated, what else could I become but a branch house member?"

Hiashi looked pointedly at her and replied enigmatically, "There are other ways that you can be of use to the Hyuga clan, Hinata."

Hinata felt a chill of foreboding. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing you need concern yourself with. Right now, you should only focus on becoming stronger. Hinata, you've been spending much too much time at the hospital. You've been neglecting your training. I worry that you won't be ready. If you fought Hanabi today, I don't think you would be able to defeat her. And for goodness sake, she's five years your junior!"

"When you became clan head, did you have to defeat Neji's father in battle?"

"No."

Hinata gaped at him. "Then why…?"

Hiashi sighed. "I hate having to make you battle your sister like this. But the elders are forcing my hand. They don't believe that you're strong enough to lead the family. They want you to prove yourself."

Hinata looked at her hands. "Do you think I would be a strong head of the clan, father?"

Hiashi's silence was deafening.

Helpless, Hinata felt a flood of tears wetting her cheeks. She glanced down again at Neji sparing. He had defeated all four of the jounin. He was offering a hand up to the one nearest to him. She looked at her father and stuttered through her tears, "I…I will become stronger. I promise you."

Hiashi looked uncomfortable at her tears. "Hinata, it just isn't your destiny to be the clan head. It's not something you can fight."

Hinata looked him in the eye, her gaze resolute. "Don't give up on me yet, father. Please don't lose your faith in me."

Her determined stare made him smile. "That's my Hinata." He stood up from the wall and glanced down at her. "I'm expecting two important guests today. I would like you to wear your new kimono."

"As you wish, father."

* * *

"Kinda early for a clan meeting," noted Kakashi.

"Guess we Uchiha are morning people." Shisui shrugged.

"I knew there was something weird about you guys."

After the clan meeting and the subsequent discussion in the comfort of their own home between Mikoto, Sasuke and Itachi, the brothers had slipped out to one of the training fields to meet up with Kakashi and Shisui for a spar they had previously arranged.

Practice Field twenty-five was on the northeast corner of Konoha, well outside the walls. It was one of the larger and more remote fields that were popular amongst the jonin and ANBU of the village. When high-level shinobi got together to spar, they always tended to leave tremendous destruction in their wake. Remote fields were a necessity to prevent injury among lower-level shinobi who might be training nearby and get caught in the crossfire. This was Itachi and Sasuke's favorite field.

After Sasuke made chunin at twelve, Itachi began to take him to this field for spars. Mikoto would occasionally join them. She had reached jonin before she retired from active service but was still a formidable kunoichi in her own right. Though even together Mikoto and Sasuke usually couldn't defeat Itachi during their spars, a fact Itachi knew well but chose not to lord over them.

"Are you sure the others wouldn't mind us taking about clan matters in front of a non-clan member?" wondered Sasuke.

"Nah. He's an honorary Uchiha," Shisui quipped, throwing an arm around Kakashi's shoulders.

Kakashi lifted his forehead protector and showed the blood red eye hidden behind it. His own dark eye twinkled as he pointed. "Sharingan."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at his sensei's foolishness.

"They're already kinda pissed at us, 'tachi. We should be more careful about what we say," Sasuke cautioned.

"You're probably right," agreed Itachi.

"I must say, Kagami's son Masaru is a bit of a sanctimonious bastard," remarked Sasuke.

"Yeah. His son's a bit of a sanctimonious bastard too," Shisui replied.

"Can someone really be a sanctimonious bastard at twelve?" wondered Sasuke.

"You'd be surprised," answered Kakashi mysteriously.

"You should have seen yourself at twelve, Sasuke," Itachi drawled.

Sasuke frowned and threw a kunai at his brother's head. "You suck."

Itachi ducked smoothly and stuck out his tongue.

"Behave, children," Shisui teased. "So what teams should we go with today? How about me and Kakashi against Itachi and Sasuke?"

"Do you think that's fair?" asked Sasuke. With a smirk he added, "Should Itachi and I get a handicap or something? You two don't stand a chance against us."

Kakashi smirked right back at him. "Any last words, brat?"

Four sets of eyes bled red into the distinctive Sharingan as the spar began. Sasuke attacked first, hurling a burst of Chidori senbon at the Uchiha brother's opponents. Shisui body flickered away into the nearby trees to track the battle.

Rapidly forming handsigns, Kakashi threw his hands on the ground. "Doton: Doryūheki!"

An earthen wall drew up between the Copy Ninja and his opponent, protecting Kakashi from the Chidori attack. Nimbly jumping out of the way, Kakashi narrowly missed the kick as Itachi jumped in behind the wall.

"Konoha Senpu!"

Kakashi's typically impassive eyes betrayed surprise at seeing Itachi utilizing his rival Gai's taijutsu moves. He was able to dodge Itachi's high kick, but was unable to protect himself against the low kick which doubled him up. Shisui jumped in while Kakashi shook himself off to rejoin the skirmish. A flurry of taijutsu kicks, punches and blocks followed. Focusing a small amount of chakra into his fist, Itachi's punch finally connected, throwing Kakashi across the clearing.

"Doton: Kengan no Jutsu!"

Shisui's fist rock technique took Itachi by surprise as his friend managed to slam him into the Earth Wall that Kakashi had created earlier.

"Picked that one up in my mission to Earth Country last month with my genin team," Shisui explained.

"Very nice," complimented Itachi, slipping into a defensive stance. His eyebrows furrowed in surprise when Sasuke jumped behind him, catching the punch Kakashi aimed at Itachi.

Kakashi gasped in surprise when his punch connected with Sasuke and he realized a split second too late. "An exploding bunshin?"

Itachi was already prepared with a body replacement technique as Sasuke's clone exploded. Kakashi, Shisui and a log were blasted across the clearing.

The Uchiha brothers stood side by side in a high branch a little ways off. "That exploding bunshin trick never gets old," Sasuke chuckled to his brother. "I'm so glad you taught it to me. I have another new technique that I want to try out. I stole it off a Kumo jounin."

"What is it?" wondered Itachi.

"It's a lightening based genjutsu attack."

"Hm, sounds like fun. Why don't we try that water and lightening combo attack we've been working on after that?"

"Sounds good to me."

"I can sense Kakashi and Shisui up ahead by the lake. They're probably setting up a trap or preparing a combo attack to use against us."

"Why don't you separate them so that I can try this genjutsu on Kakashi?"

"Your wish is my command."

Sasuke and Itachi body flickered nearby. Even before they landed on the lake, Itachi was ready with a shuriken attack.

"Katon: Hōsenka Tsumabeni!"

Letting the shuriken suffused with Pheonix Flames loose at Shisui, Itachi followed his friend as they danced across the water dodging one another's shuriken attacks. Shisui dodged the attack easily, but Itachi's mission was accomplished. Kakashi and Shisui were separated.

"Divide and conquer? Is that your plan?" wondered Shisui.

Itachi smiled mysteriously. "Sasuke wanted to try a new jutsu against Kakashi."

Shisui smirked. "Funny you should say that. Kakashi wanted to do the same."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Truce? I kinda want to watch this."

"Stole the words right out of my mouth."

"Raigen Raikōchū!" Sasuke called.

Itachi watched transfixed as a flash of lightening flickered and then a bright light seemed to emanate from Sasuke's body. It was blinding in its intensity. It was like looking directly into the sun. A jutsu that was ideally suited for Uchiha opponents who relied on their sight to cast jutsu.

"Suirō no Jutsu!" called Kakashi, casting his jutsu with a water clone before Sasuke's was completely expelled.

"That water prision jutsu?" asked Itachi. "I hate that one. And really effective using it as his opponent was casting a lightening based jutsu. Sasuke's probably experiencing some blowback from his own jutsu. Guess Kakashi wanted revenge for that exploding bunshin."

"I wish you would teach me that jutsu," commented Shisui. "I felt a little betrayed that you showed it to the twerp before you showed it to me."

"Jealousy doesn't become you, Shisui," taunted Itachi. "Well I should go and help my brother. Can't let Kakashi gloat for too long."

"Well you're going to have to get around me first, 'tachi," Shisui winked.

Itachi smiled mysteriously and then his body seemed to disperse as a murder of crows flew away.

"Katon: Zukokku," yelled Itachi's voice from the other side of the lake.

Shisui cursed. He flicked over to Kakashi and grabbed the real Copy Ninja. Diving into the lake, they watched as the tremendous inferno raged across the lake above them. Surfacing after the blaze had passed, they climbed back onto the surface of the water. Their opponents were standing together nearby. They seemed to be having a bit of a tiff.

Sasuke looked sullen, soaked and scorched. "I don't know if you noticed, 'tachi. But you only hit _me_ with that jutsu. Thanks."

Kakashi was unsuccessful in hiding his chuckle. Sasuke glared sullenly at his former sensei. Not ready to end the spar so early, Shisui tossed some shuriken at Sasuke to put the young ANBU on his guard. He jumped away out of the way and hurled a handful back.

Itachi eyed Kakashi curiously, wondering what the copy-nin's next attack would be. He was unprepared for the flight of chidori senbon Kakashi aimed at him. Allowed barely a moment to think and reluctant to use the Mangekyo Sharingan, Itachi called upon a new jutsu that he still hadn't perfected.

"Hakkeshō Kaiten!"

Itachi's last jutsu seemed to put an end to the spar. Kakashi, Shisui and Sasuke all looked on dumbfounded and a little jealously as Itachi whirled around dispelling chakra from numerous chakra points creating a barrier which knocked away the majority of the senbon.

When Itachi stilled, he pulled out a senbon lodged in his thigh and another in his calf. His technique was still imperfect. He was still having trouble emanating the correct amount of chakra from the points on his legs. They remained vulnerable to attack.

"Still inferior to the Susanoo that I can summon with my Mangekyo Sharingan," Itachi mumbled to himself.

Shisui landed beside his friend and remarked, "That's a Main House secret Hyuga clan technique. How on earth…"

"When Neji finds out that you stole that from him, he'll be furious," Kakashi remarked.

Itachi crossed his arms over his chest. "I didn't steal it. I taught it to myself just as Neji did several years ago. True the Sharingan helped me to learn it, but without the proper chakra control any knowledge gained with the Sharingan is useless. I've been training with Neji and he's offered me some advice about it."

"You better keep this quiet, Itachi," Kakashi warned. "Otherwise the Hyuga clan will be out for your blood. Your position as the Uchiha clan head can only afford you so much immunity."

"I sincerely doubt that this will become a clan issue," said Itachi.

"I'm known as the Copy Ninja. I've found that ninjas don't like to have their techniques stolen or 'copied.' Be careful. ANBU and the Hokage can offer some protection, but that only goes so far," countered Kakashi.

"Funny you should mention ANBU," said Shisui.

"So the clan's still on your case about ANBU?" asked Kakashi.

"Yep," Itachi said.

"Would it really be a bad thing if you retired Itachi? Give the next generation a chance to shine?"

"Looking for a captain's seat, Sasuke?" asked Kakashi.

"Someday, yeah."

"I will retire at some point, but there are dangerous powers at work these days and we need all hands on deck."

"Are you talking about the Akatsuki?" wondered Sasuke.

"Yes. They're after your teammate, Naruto. It's only a matter of time before they launch a full scale attack on the village."

"Kakashi, you'll never guess what they told Itachi at the end of our meeting," Shisui said with a wicked gleam in his eye.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the slight blush that flooded Itachi's cheeks at his friend's remark. "And what was that?"

"They said that with Itachi and Sasuke both in ANBU, our clan leader and clan heir respectively, we leave the clan unprotected. They gave Itachi an ultimatum. Either one of them retires from ANBU or they have to nominate a second heir."

"Have you decided what to do?" wondered Kakashi.

"I spoke with my mother about it. If I name another heir, it should be my son or Sasuke's."

"So…" said Kakashi. "You can't come back to ANBU until you get someone pregnant?"

"Theoretically, yes."

"That has got to be the best mission ever," Kakashi laughed. "It's like something straight out of Icha Icha!"

"So," Shisui asked wiggling his eyebrows. "Do you have any girl in mind yet?"

A face flitted across Itachi's mind: soft lavender eyes, a gentle smile and sheets of midnight dark hair. There was someone yes, but would take time and some bending of clan politics.

"I can't say that for certain. It's not something I want to rush into. Luckily, I was able to buy us some time with a contingency plan. Simply, Sasuke and I can't be gone from the village on missions at the same time."

"It'll cut into our training time together," Sasuke pointed out unhappily. "But it's better than the alternative.

"Yeah, troublesome," Itachi sighed. "Speaking of which, I believe that I have a mission. Duty calls."

* * *

Hinata slid in her seat across from Sasuke with a happy sigh. She loved the senbei at Teyaki and Uruchi's shop. The two shopkeepers were so kind to them. They were almost like doting godparents to Sasuke.

The shop had a very nice outdoor space. Several tables and chairs arranged inside the ornate fence arrayed with twinkling fairy lights. The nighttime breeze was very refreshing after a long day of training with her teammates. There was quite a crowd that evening, ninja and civilian alike. Sasuke and Hinata barely managed to find an open table.

Teyaki dropped by their table shortly after they sat down with their order. Throwing his arm around the younger man's shoulders, he said, "There's my favorite clan heir. You should have seen him at our clan meeting this morning, Hinata. Your brother must have been very proud of you."

"I'm sure it wasn't that impressive," Sasuke mumbled.

"I would have had trouble standing up and speaking in front of that assembly of lions. The clan was out for blood. Your family did a good job of standing up for yourself."

Sasuke quirked a small smile. "Thank you. My brother and mother will be glad to hear that we have your continued support."

"Always." Teyaki winked. "Well I'll give you and this beautiful lady some privacy." Teyaki winked at the younger man before he stage whispered to Hinata, "It's always nice to see you, Hinata."

Sasuke quirked his lip before tossing one of the rice cakes into his mouth. Hinata took a sip of her green tea.

"I'm sorry that I missed going to the police department with you to look at your father's files," said Hinata.

Sasuke waved off her apology. "Don't worry about it. You were tending to my brother in the hospital. Itachi's future is much more important to me than my father's past. Though Hana was asking after you."

"Oh, how is she doing?"

"She's fine. Though her dogs were staring me down for not bringing you along."

Hinata grinned at him. She picked up one of the rice cakes herself. She looked at it distractedly for a moment before turning to Sasuke. He quirked an eyebrow at her expression.

"Can I ask you for a favor, Sasuke?"

The raven-haired Uchiha raised an eyebrow before replying, "Is everything alright?" He detected an unfamiliar hesitance in her voice.

She smiled in return. "Everything's fine. What I wanted to ask is if you would mind training with me? I've gotten behind in my training lately with all my work at the hospital. I need to get stronger and improve my jutsu. I want to be an heiress that my clan can be proud of."

Sasuke nodded. "Anytime. You didn't even need to ask. It should be fun. We haven't trained together since we were kids."

Hinata chuckled to herself and looked at him through her eyelashes. Sasuke was sure she didn't realize what a seductive picture she made. "It has been awhile, hasn't it."

"Goodness knows how much free time I'll have now that Naruto's out of the village. I've lost count of the number of times he runs off with Lord Jiraiya for 'training.' Frankly it's amazing that the council allows the Hokage to run off for months at a time like that. It must have been some stipulation in his contract when he accepted the job. Kami, sometimes I worry about what the Sannin is teaching him. Naruto told me that the Hokage had him ghostwrite a chapter in his latest novel. And I thought nothing could surprise me. "

Hinata choked on her tea. "You can't be serious!"

Sasuke adopted a mock-hurt expression. "Would I lie to you, Hinata-hime?"

Hinata giggled. Her laugh was so charming, like softly tinkling bells.

"There's supposed to be working on the Hirashin. But Kami only knows what they're really doing."

Hinata crinkled her eyes in amusement. Leaning in and blushing prettily, she asked Sasuke quietly, "I've been meaning to ask you."

Sasuke leaned forward excitedly, wondering what she could have to say that would make her whisper and blush like that. Was it those words he'd been waiting to hear from her? He had fallen in love with her so gradually, it almost seemed like it had always been a part of him. It was as easy as breathing. "Yes?"

She whispered even more quietly, "This is a little awkward but I've been dying to know since I met your brother a couple days ago."

"What is it?" he whispered back huskily.

"Why don't you have the Mangekyo Sharingan like Itachi?"

Sasuke sat back in his chair as the moment ended with the speed and certainty of an exploding bunshin. He was disappointed in more ways than one.

Why was Hinata comparing him to his older brother? Everyone always compared him to Itachi. Sasuke was the most talented shinobi to come out of his class at the Academy, perhaps one of the most talented to ever come out of the Academy. Sasuke was considered a genius, a prodigy in many ways. However, so was Itachi. It seemed that whenever Sasuke accomplished something, a clan member would point how Itachi had accomplished the same task – only better – at a younger age. It seemed that Sasuke was forever doomed to live in his older brother's shadow.

True he loved his brother more than anything else in the world. For Sasuke, Itachi was the universe. But Sasuke always had this lingering feeling of resentment for his older brother. He wanted to prove that he was just as good as Itachi, maybe even better.

Hinata was special to him. She was the one thing that he didn't have to share with Itachi. People would always compare the Uchiha brother's stats: graduation from the Academy, mastery of the Sharingan, Chunin and Jonin promotion, ANBU induction, etc.

But Hyuga Hinata was something that Sasuke didn't have to share with Itachi. And now, to hear her compare him to his brother was tantamount to someone plunging a katana through his heart.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. I see I've upset you." Hinata stared at him with her crystal eyes. She was so perceptive in some ways and so blissfully unaware in others. She reached across the table and put her hands into his. She looked deep into his eyes, hoping to convey her message. "I'm not trying to compare you to him. That would be unkind and silly. You both are so different. I don't know why people are always equating you. Neither one of you is superior to the other. You know that, right? You're just as talented as Itachi."

A genuine smile broke out across Sasuke's face. This was one of the reasons he was so fond of the girl. For so many years she had been a flustered and a stuttering mess, but years of hard training and time spent with her best friend Ino had helped her conquer that. However, one thing that hadn't changed about her was her pure heart, sincerity and insightfulness.

"You know that, right, Sasuke?" she whispered.

"Hai, Hinata," he whispered back.

* * *

It was a beautiful summer morning. The sun had risen only an hour ago and was rising in the sky at a lazy pace. A warm breeze wafted into the Hidden Leaf Village from the forest surrounding the town. The twittering of birds was the only noise near the imposing front gates - that is besides the voices of the two chunin on duty.

"Looks like this game is mine, Kotetsu."

Hagane Kotetsu threw down his cards on the table in front of them. Leaning back in his chair, he put his arms behind his head. "So, do you think it's going to be another quiet day, Izumo?"

Kamizuki Izumo leaned forward to stare through his long bangs out the immense entrance way to Kohona. "Probably."

Kotetsu scratched his nose. "Aren't Naruto and Hokage-sama supposed to come back to Konoha soon?"

Izumo sat back in the chair and picked up the cards on the table. Shuffling them with little thought, he remarked, "Now that you mention it, I think they should be coming back any day now. I think Kakashi said that Naruto has a mission waiting for him."

"Wouldn't it be nice to have a mission waiting for us," said Kotetsu with a wistful sigh.

Izumo grabbed Kotetsu by his chunin vest and shook him. "Well if you weren't such a slacker, maybe we'd get more exciting missions assigned to us."

"Hey," Kotetsu gasped as Izumo continued to shake him. His eyes shifted to two figures walking in the front gates. "Hey, where do you two think you're going?"

Releasing his friend, Izumo turned to the two men walking into Kohona. Raising an eyebrow, he peered at them curiously. One was around their age and other looked to be the first's man father. The pair was dressed in expensive looking clothing, layers upon layers of lavish silks. The intricate embroidery shone in the early morning light with an almost incandescent gleam.

The older man glared at the two chunin before stalking up to them, his silks swirling around him and his dark eyes flashing. "How dare you address your betters in such a way, young man."

"Whoo there, mister," said Izumo rushing to his friend's defense. "You can't walk into Konoha without talking to us first."

"The audacity…" the older man began.

"Just give those low lives our papers, father," the younger man interrupted his father with a sneer at the chunin.

Izumo and Kotetsu exchanged identical bemused looks. The pair was harmless to the chunin, though unbearably pompous. The older man pulled a thick set of papers with a familiar wax seal on the front. Izumo accepted it in one hand.

"The Hyuga seal, eh. Are you here to see Hiashi-sama?" wondered Kotetsu.

"What impudence," exclaimed the older man.

Izumo broke the seal of the document and skimmed it. Kotetsu looked over his friend's shoulder to read it. He glanced at the well-dressed pair suspiciously. "Do you reckon it's really them and not a transformation jutsu?"

"Hard to know," answered Izumo, looking up from the papers. "I'm surprised that you don't have a shiniobi guard with you. It looks like you can afford some," Izumo said before glancing down at the papers for their names, "Hato Kaba of Kenkaji."

The older man looked affronted at the insult. "Of course we can afford an escort. They'll be coming along soon with our baggage. We meet a mangy pair of bandits when we were in view of Konoha. Our ninja escorts told us to go ahead while they fought them off. They'll be along presently with our baggage."

"You really should take better care of your village. Imagine bandits lurking this close to the city," said the son.

"What did these bandits look like," Izumo asked now studying at the scroll for the son's name, "Hato Okami?"

"One was a lecherous old man with long white hair tied back a ponytail. The other was an idiotic looking young man with messy blonde hair and horrendous fashion sense," the son answered.

"Oh, that would be the Jiraiya-sama and Naruto. I was wondering when they would get back," Izumo exclaimed excitedly.

"I'll be nice to see them again, won't it, Izumo."

The son, Hato Okami, wrinkled his nose. "You know these bandits?"

"Yeah, though they're actually shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village, not bandits. The lecherous old man you spoke of is the Godaime Hokage."

Hato Kaba and Okami didn't look convinced. The father, Hato Kaba, spoke up. "In Kenkaji the ninja take better care of themselves and their appearance." He wrinkled his nose at Kotetsu and Izumo. "Though from what I've seen so far, it doesn't seem like Konoha holds their ninja to the same standards. It's embarrassing that this is the Hidden Village of the Fire Country. I'll have to speak to my brother-in-law, the fire daimyo, about it."

Izumo and Kotetsu looked amused when they noticed four new figures coming through the towering doors of Konoha. Sure enough it was Lord Hokage and Naruto, hauling the two elite Kenkaji ninjas in by the scruff of their necks."

"Hey Izumo, Kotetsu!" exclaimed Naruto. "Long time no see. How are you two doing?"

"Fine. I see you got yourself into some trouble," Izumo teased.

"Nothing we couldn't handle." Naruto shrugged.

"Who are your friends there?" Kotetsu pointed.

"No idea. They attacked us, so what were we supposed to do," said Naruto.

Hato Kaba and Okami gaped in dismay at their guards that were tossed in a heap at their feet. One of them looked up at their client uneasily. Kaba aimed a kick at them and said, "You're fired. And don't expect to be paid. I've never been so embarrassed in all my life."

"Why don't I help you two to the hospital," said Naruto.

"Welcome back, Hokage-sama," said Izumo.

Jiraiya chuckled wryly, "I'm not looking forward to catching up on all the paperwork I missed while I was gone."

"Tsunade, Iruka and your assistants have been assigning mission and processing reports. You shouldn't have too much of a backlog. I think there's even has a mission for Naruto's ANBU team on your desk waiting for you return."

"A mission? Excellent!" exclaimed Naruto. "Come on, Pervy Sage. If we hurry up, maybe I can treat you to ramen before I have to head out again."

"I wish you wouldn't call me that."

* * *

**A/N: Here's a list of the jutsus used:**

**Doton: Doryūheki – Earth Style: Earth Wall.**

**Konoha Senpu – Leaf Hurricane**

**Doton: Kengan no Jutsu – Earth Style: Rock Fist **

**Katon: Hōsenka Tsumabeni - Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Shuriken Jutsu**

**Raigen Raikōchū - Lightning Illusion: Flash Pillar**

**Suirō no Jutsu - Water Prison Jutsu**

**Katon: Zukokku - Fire Style: Searing Migraine**

**Hakkeshō Kaiten - Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven**

* * *

**A/N: Please Review!  
**


	4. Chapter Three - A Strange Proposition

******A/N: A special thanks to everyone who reviewed: piratequeen11 and hinatafan**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

**A Strange Proposition**

**a.k.a "I'm flattered, but really not interested"**

* * *

After a day and a half of traveling east across Fire Country, Itachi and his team finally reached the port city of Izu Hanto. Having sent Genma and Neji off to find accommodations for the night, Itachi and Shikamaru wandered around town.

Luckily they had arrived several hours before the designated rendezvous time; however, there were still many preparations to be made for the meeting. Currently Shikamaru and Itachi were scouting locations for the other members of the team to lie in wait while Itachi spoke with Hokage-sama's contact.

It was a bustling town, serving as the main port for the Fire Country. Many large boats anchored in the natural cove were prepared to disembark for foreign lands. A dark monstrosity of a galley with white sails sat comfortably in the harbor. It had arrived that morning from Water Country.

Wandering around the harbor, Itachi and Shikamaru dodged the fishmongers as they stacked their carts, cleaning up from the morning rush. The pungent smell of fish still overwhelmed the salty air. Hardy looking sailors and mangy mercenaries stalked up and down the wooden docks selling their skills to the ship captains.

The squawks and screeches of the seagulls were a discordant melody for the two Leaf ninjas as they wandered around the dock. The whole team had discarded their ANBU uniforms and changed into civilian clothes as they neared the town. No Konoha insignia was visible on any of them.

"I see it over there," Itachi said. He indicated his head towards a long row of cargo holds. "That rusty one on the edge of the wharf. The symbol's there in the graffiti. If you weren't looking for it, you wouldn't have noticed it."

"I don't like this at all, Crow," remarked Shikamaru. "Those cargo containers are very isolated. There are almost too many hiding places in the shadows around them."

Responding to his codename had been disorienting at first, but now it was second nature to him. "Well lucky for me, you're a master of the shadows, Owl."

* * *

"Did you miss me, Tsunade?" asked Jiraiya bursting into his office with Naruto close on his heels.

The Slug Sannin looked up from the paperwork on his desk and tried to hide her smile. "Miss you? What I'm going to miss is the peace and quiet while you and Naruto were gone for a month."

"Well I'm glad to see that you were able to hold down the fort while I was away."

Tsunade rolled her eyes as she stood up from the desk, picking up a file as she went. "I still think it's outrageous for the Hokage to wander off for months at a time. It's so irresponsible."

"Well I'm never that far. I've got to keep my information network up to date after all."

Tsunade stood before them. "That I can understand; though, you could utilize your ANBU for that a little better."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you get my toad?"

Tsunade handed him the file and said, "I did. Team Itachi left a couple days ago on the mission you assigned. They should have arrived at Izu Hanto this morning."

"Good. What's this?"

"It's a mission for Team Kakashi."

Jiraiya accepted the file and flipped it open. "So this is the mission that's waiting for Naruto. Izumo and Kotetsu mentioned it at the gate."

"Yes. There's another thing too, a clan matter that will affect this." Tsunade glanced at Naruto and said, "Naruto, can you go collect the rest of your team and report back here in half an hour?"

Naruto gave Tsunade a thumbs up. "Roger that, Tsunade-baa-chan."

He disappeared in a puff of smoke. Jiraiya chuckled, "You've got to love that kid."

"Though I wish he'd dispense with the nicknames," Tsunade muttered.

"I feel your pain. So what's this clan matter?"

"Itachi mentioned it to me before he went on his mission. He also left a scroll for you about it. It's on your desk somewhere."

Jiraiya followed Tsunade to his desk. "An Uchiha clan matter? This can't be good." He accepted the scroll Tsunade handed him.

_Hokage-sama,_

_I wanted to make you aware of an unusual situation that has arisen after a meeting with my clan. The elders and clan members are anxious about the inherent danger of having both their clan leader and his heir involved in the ANBU Black Ops. They believe that it's too risky having both of us out of the village taking these dangerous classified missions._

_They pressured Sasuke or me to resign from your ANBU. Luckily we were able to find a compromise. The stipulation is that only one of us can be on a mission at a time. This is merely a contingency to appease the clan until we can arrive at a better solution._

_I apologize for any inconvenience this will cause. _

_Uchiha Itachi _

Jiraiya put the note down at his desk and sat down in his seat. Rubbing his eyes, he remarked, "This is rather strange, but it's not an unusual request. What brought this about? Was Itachi injured in his last mission? Though I find that hard to believe as Itachi's an exceptional shinobi, it's the only explanation for a change like this demanded by the Uchiha clan."

Tsunade nodded. "He collapsed during his last mission. I'll track down the mission report for you. He and his team were ambushed by ten rogue ninjas vying for entry into the Akatsuki. He used his Mangekyō to finish off the enemy quickly. Two of his teammates were in need to immediate medical assistance and Itachi didn't want to prolong the battle and risk their lives."

"Ah," said Jiraiya. "He wasn't injured by the enemy. It was more like he collapsed from his illnesss."

"Yes," answered Tsunade. "But as we both know, he had been keeping his illness from the clan. So he couldn't explain the real reason for his stay in the hospital."

"Is he alright? It's not too soon to have him out on another mission? When was the injury? Do you have an updated medical chart?"

Tsunade flipped through the other files on the desk. "Yeah, it's here somewhere. As you know, my apprentice Hinata and I have been exploring experimental procedures at the hospital. Naturally she wasn't aware that we were looking for something to help with Itachi's condition. His illness is classified information, only myself, you, Itachi and Mikoto are aware of the situation. So when he came in from his mission, I had Hinata examine him and we decided to implement one of our experimental procedures. It was a complete success. Ah, here's the report."

"Well this is wonderful news! You were able to fix his eyesight? Wow. How about the-"

"Hinata was able to cure him of that too. Her skill with the Byakugan is really amazing. I really should have had her examine Itachi before this. I didn't realize how much of an asset the Byakugan would be in medical examinations."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Tsunade. You're the director of the hospital, which has improved leaps and bounds since you returned to Konoha six years ago to run it. Konoha leads the entire shinobi world in the medical field. You may not have been able to see the issue clearly with your eyes like Hinata could, but you were able to theorize that as a possible reason for the illness. You were the one who urged Hinata to pursue that course of study in developing that particular treatment."

"I suppose you're right," said Tsunade with a sigh. "What do you think of this ANBU mission?"

"It's rather strange. The mission was requested by Hiruzen eleven years ago to be completed between this July and December. I wonder why."

"And it's to be assigned to ANBU and not a regular team. This would typically be a D ranked mission assigned to a genin cell," Tsunade continued.

"There must be something very important in the scrolls in the Fire Temple that Hiruzen wanted to keep secret about for eleven years. If Itachi's team wasn't on a mission, I'd probably have assigned it to his team. Kakashi's team is a good alternative."

Tsunade quirked her head to look sideways as four men in ANBU regalia walked into the office. The tallest one wore a dog mask over his spiky silver hair. One wore a panther mask with his black hair sticking out from the back of his head dramatically. The man in the fox mask had his hands folded behind his head and gave the Hokage a thumbs up. The man in the beaver mask was brown haired and serious.

"I have a mission for the four of you," said Jiraiya. He looked out over the four ANBU members before he spoke. "Your mission is of the utmost secrecy. You will travel to the Fire Temple and bring back to Konoha several scrolls that the monks have been guarding. These contain some of the most powerful and dangerous secrets of our village, so it is of the utmost importance that they do not fall into anyone else's hands. These should return to the Leaf Village unopened."

"Understood," replied the silver haired man in the center.

"You will wait until Team Itachi has returned from their mission and then you are free to go."

The four ANBU disappeared in a puff of smoke.

* * *

Night fell quickly. The only noise in the darkness was the low creaking of the wooden hulls of the ships and the gentle ebb and flow of waves upon the shore. The sea seemed to stretch out endlessly, dark as pitch. Miniscule pinpricks of lighted lanterns were the only light in the darkness as they swayed in time with the ships at anchor.

Itachi leaned against the metal door of a cargo container. He was boxed in by three of them, hidden from prying eyes. All of the storage sheds were clustered at the edge of the pier: some stacked vertically, others arrayed in long rows. The shed had once been bright red, but had given itself to the sea breeze and had rusted to a rough maroon. However, the yellow graffiti was still bright as the day it had been painted. Jiraiya's contacts liked to meet these nondescript locations. Looking out onto the water, Itachi waited.

He knew that the rest of his team lurked in the darkness ready to back him up if anything untoward occurred. Shikamaru was the nearest, bathed in his shadows. Genma patrolled the town on the lookout for interruptions. Neji was hidden in a tall tower in the middle of town scanning the nearby area for unusual chakra signatures. The four teammates had short-wave radio links to facilitate communication.

Genma's voice crackled over the radio. "Nothing unusual here. Shouldn't have any trouble from this front, Crow. Can you see any strange chakra signatures, Eagle?"

"Copy that," said Neji. "All of the chakra levels are low, ours included. There's a low-level signature on one of the ships at anchor that has been active for the last half hour or so. It may be a shinobi masking his chakra as we are. Wait, he's moving. There's a shinobi in a dark cloak walking over the water in your direction, Crow."

The eerie screech of a gull called from the distance. "That's the signal," whispered Itachi into his mic. "I'm going to keep transmitting but I'm going to mute the receiver. You know my signal."

"Good luck," said Shikamaru.

"See you on the other side," said Genma.

Itachi turned the volume off on his receiver and tucked the radio under the high collar of his black shirt. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he let out a similar cry. "Caaaaah! Caaaaah!"

A dark figure appeared next to him. The hood was turned up, but the ANBU could still tell that the figure was slender and about his height – a shinobi as demonstrated by his water walking talents. Weaving quick handsigns, Itachi set up a subtle genjutsu barrier around the pair of them.

"Were you followed?"

"No," his companion whispered.

"That's a neat trick," Itachi said, "walking on water."

"I am a shinobi, yes."

"You've been off the grid for nearly a year. Why do you come forward now?"

The other man tilted his head to the side. His shoulder-length white hair slipped out from under dark hood. It may have been a trick of the fading light, but the bottom of the strands looked almost blue. "They're on the move and they've been unusually active for the last couple months. You know of whom I speak."

"Yes, the red clouds."

"Two members were sighted in Kiri three months back. They captured both of their targets in the land of Water. The Village Hidden in the Mist has been closed to outsiders, so the word has not yet spread to the other Ninja villages."

"We've heard news about the Water Diamyo. Do you have any information about that?"

From under the hood, Itachi saw the other man's teeth shine in a sinister smile. They had been filed down to sharp points. "You heard about that? Rumor has it that the Diamyo was assassinated and the red clouds were involved. I'm not sure whether they were the ones who ordered it or if they were hired by another."

"Current schemes and whereabouts?"

"There's a high stakes poker tournament on Moon Island in one month. The entry fee is 100 million ryo and there are seats for 10 at the table, so the winner will take home 1 billion ryo. The red clouds plan to participate."

"If the Red Clouds are turning their minds to financial concerns, this may not bode well for the Five Great Shinobi Countries."

"Indeed. War will soon be upon us. I can feel it in the air."

"We have uncovered more information about the Hozuki boy," Itachi said. He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a scroll. Unfurling it and biting on his thumb, he rubbed the blood across the precise kanji decorating the scroll. After he released the sealing jutsu, he handed the file to the other man. "Two years ago Hozuki Suigetsu was seen in the Land of Rice Paddies with four members of the Village Hidden in the Sound. From these photos, we can conclude that he is most likely a prisoner."

"The Land of Rice Paddies?"

"Yes, one of the strongholds of Orochimaru, the Snake Sannin. The Hozuki clan possesses a unique kekkei genkai so it is likely that Orochimaru abducted the boy to study him. Their kekkei genkai is especially famous because the second Mizukage was a member of their clan. This boy is the Mizukage's grandfather. Two months ago the pieces for a large glass aquarium were purchased and taken to the region indicated on that map. We believe that the boy may be there in one of Orochimaru's hideouts."

Itachi held out the storage scroll for the other man. Quickly storing the files within, the contact nodded to Itachi in thanks.

* * *

Hands in his pockets, Sasuke wandered towards the northern corner of the Uchiha Compound where the council member Uchiha Kagami lived with his son's family. These new rules imposed on him and Itachi by the clan were really tiresome. It was almost insulting that the clan didn't trust him or his brother to return alive from their missions. They really had no idea who they were dealing with.

For so much of their lives, Sasuke and Itachi had been inseparable. They trained together often and after Sasuke had made chunin, they occasionally went on missions together. After the death of their father, Sasuke, Itachi and their mother became even more closely knit. Fugaku had managed ruling the clan on his own while he was alive, but when Itachi became clan head, he, Sasuke and Mikoto ruled the clan as a triumvirate. Now that he and his brother couldn't be gone from the village at the same time, they needed to do their missions one at a time. Until one of them left active service or Itachi married and had a child, they wouldn't be able to spend as much time together.

It had been nearly four days since Sasuke had seen his brother and they hadn't left on the best of terms.

xxx

_Sasuke caught Itachi at his apartment above the Uchiha Senbei shop before his brother left on his ANBU mission. Sitting on the couch, Sasuke watched his brother snap on his ANBU armor and tie the crow mask to the strap on his waist._

"_What do you know about Shimura Danzo?"_

_Itachi turned to look at his brother in surprise. "Danzo? I haven't heard that name in a long time. Why do you ask?"_

"_It's been eleven years to the day since father died."_

_Itachi sank down onto the couch next to his brother with a sigh. "Eleven years already? It seems like only yesterday. I suppose you stopped by the Military Police Department already?"_

"_Yes, while you were in the hospital. Inuzuka Hana had some good ideas. She was saying how the names of the deceased weren't consistent. Danzo shouldn't have been there that night. If I learn more about him, I might learn more about father's death."_

_Itachi dragged a hand through his long hair. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he said, "Danzo was a member of the council. He fought in the First Shinobi World War with the Second and Third Hokages. _

"_Danzo competed with Sarutobi Hiruzen for the position of Hokage, which Sarutobi won. Bitter at passed over for the position, Danzo sought to consolidate his power through any means necessary, even if it was immoral or unjust. He founded a military group called Root, which was a hidden sect of the ANBU. I heard from Shisui that shortly before the man's death, Danzo tried to steal Shisui's eyes from him. In the world of shinobi it's sometimes hard to throw around this word, but Danzo was an evil man._

"_He and father got on like oil and water. I'm not sure why Danzo was there that night, but the world is better off for it."_

_Sasuke looked at Itachi curiously. His older brother was staring across the room unseeingly as he let his mind wander. Sasuke said, "There's more that you're not telling me. I'm not a child. You don't need to protect me anymore. If you know anything more about father's death, I want to know."_

_Itachi stood up and lifted his pack onto his shoulders. Tying on his hip pouches where his armor ended, Itachi paused for a moment before turning to his brother. "There is something else, something that you haven't been told."_

_Sasuke crossed his legs and arms, leaning back against the couch. Raising his eyebrows, he looked at his older brother with hard eyes. "And what is that?"_

"_You were very young when all of this happened, so father tried to keep the controversial affairs of our clan from you. You know that three months after you were born that the village was attached by one of the strongest tailed beasts, the Kyuubi no Kitsune. The same biju sealed within your friend Naruto that the Akatsuki are so ardently hunting. After the attack, there was suspicion placed upon the Uchiha clan. _

"_It was a lie; however, the damage was done. For a time there was a stigma for associating with the Uchiha clan. Several members, our father included, became very bitter about all of it. Frustrated with the way that they were being treated and craving power that they felt they had been denied, they planned to overthrow the current regime and set themselves up as the rulers of Konoha. Father wanted to start a civil war."_

_Sasuke shot up from the couch, eyes blazing. "Father would never be involved in something like that. You're lying!"_

_He kicked over the coffee table at his feet and stormed out of the apartment._

xxx_  
_

Now that he'd had several days to calm down, something began to unfurl in the back of his mind. Itachi's story didn't actually seem so crazy now that he'd had time to think about things.

Sasuke had been a child when his father died. He had admired his father's strength and power, but he had viewed Fugaku through rose colored glasses, dismissing his faults. As a child, Sasuke had always been jealous of his father's constant attention towards Itachi.

However, now that he looked back on scenes from his childhood and heard things from Itachi and his mother, he saw with his own eyes that his father hadn't been a good man at all. In the back of his mind, he was almost grateful that his father had passed so that he was able to get out from under his poisonous influence. No doubt his life would have been much different if his father was still alive, no doubt for the worse.

He thought about asking his mother about the coup, but he decided against it. It would be a sore topic for her. Instead he resolved to ask instead Uchiha Kagami for information about it.

He was about to knock of the front door when Kagami's son opened the door. From his attire, it looked like he was just leaving to train. He narrowed his eyes at Sasuke.

"What do you want?" Uchiha Masaru challenged. He was just as charming as at their clan meeting several days ago.

"Hn," Sasuke said. "I wanted to speak with Kagami. Is he at home?"

There was a commotion behind him and Masaru and a preteen appeared behind Masaru. He had his father's spiky dark hair and eyes. Tying his hitai-ate around his forehead, he asked, "Are you ready, father? I want to perfect that shuriken jutsu that Shisui-sensei taught me during our last - Sasuke-sempai?"

"Hi, Kosho," Sasuke said with a nod. "How's shinobi life treating you?"

Masaru put his hand on his son's shoulder. "Kosho awakened his Sharingan his mission last month in Earth Country. We've been working together to help his master it." Masaru smiled at Sasuke condescendingly. "When did _you_ awaken the Sharingan, Sasuke?"

Sasuke smiled sadly. "At seven, after my father had died."

"Well we must be going," said Masaru. He called into the house, "Father, one of our fearless Uchiha clan leaders is here to see you." Masaru left the house with a sneer, Kosho trailing behind him.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the pair as he walked into the house. Masaru felt that it should have been his family and not Sasuke's family that led the clan. Fugaku was the eldest son of Izuna's oldest son. Kagami was Izuna's youngest son. Kagami was Fugaku's uncle and Itachi and Sasuke's great-uncle.

Stepping out of his sandals, he left them in one of the cubbies in the entryway. His feet made little noise on the tatami floor as he turned to the left and walked down the hallway. Even though Kagami was a member of the Konoha's council, his home was nowhere near as grand as the home of the Uchiha Clan head.

As he neared the inside room where he assumed Kagami was he heard the man calling out to him. "Mikoto, is that you?"

Sasuke slid open the paper door and stepped inside. "No, it's Sasuke."

Kagami looked up from the book he was reading. Closing it softly, he placed it to the side. "I'm sorry that I didn't recognize you at first, son. You and your mother have very similar chakra. So what can I do for you, Sasuke?"

"Before Itachi went on his ANBU mission, he told me something strange in our clan's recent history and I wanted to talk with you ab-"

"Itachi finally told you about the coup d'état, did he. That was a very terrible time in our clan's history. I don't like to speak ill of the dead, but your father was not a good leader for our clan. His pride and ambition almost brought about the destruction of our clan as we know it."

"So it's true then?"

"Absolutely." Kagami stood up from the woven mat he was sitting on and reached for his cane. "Walk through the garden with me."

Sasuke took the old man's arm. They walked farther into the house where the hallway opened into a small garden. Framed by the walls of the house, thin trees and green fronds twisted up to the sky. A small pond in the center helped to catch rainwater.

Kagami looked at the stone sculpture in the garden and began to relate his story. "The conspirators kept quiet about the coup for the most part. They didn't want to raise the Hokage's and the council's suspicions. Your father was at the very center of it all. At one point they had tried to approach me about it, but I used my age as a shield against them. It's easy enough to pretend to be a senile old fool when you're my age."

"So how was it discovered? How was it averted?" wondered Sasuke.

"Fugaku pressured Itachi to spy on the Hokage for them. Little did he know that Itachi was feeding the Hokage information about the clan's plans in turn. After Hiruzen discovered Fugaku's intentions, he met with the Uchiha conspirators to try to reconcile. One of the changes made was appointing me to the council of elders."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Surely that couldn't have been the only reparation. I wouldn't think that would be enough to appease my father. There must have been something else."

Kagami paused in his step. Glancing at Sasuke, he said, "I only attended one meeting. Hiruzen and Fugaku meet in the Hokage's sound proofed office for days after the conspiracy was uncovered. The co-conspirators attended some and even Hyuga Hiashi and the Hyuga clan elders attended a handful."

Sasuke seemed surprised by that piece of news. "The Hyuga clan? Why on earth would the Hyuga clan have become involved in Uchiha clan business?"

Kagami began walking again. "The Uchiha clan is very powerful, Sasuke. We have some of the strongest ninjas within our clan. We possess one of the most powerful kekkei genkai as well. However, the Uchiha are a warlike clan, we do not possess much in the way of material wealth. The Hyuga also possess a powerful kekkei genkai and strong ninja; however, they have something that we don't have: vast riches."

"Hm," pondered Sasuke. "So you're saying that if the Hyuga clan attended this meeting, it was most likely because the Hokage was relying on them to offer the Uchiha a monetary bribe?"

"That would be my best guess."

* * *

Pausing on the tree branch, he held out his arm in warning. A millisecond later, Genma, Shikamaru and Neji paused on branches behind him, kunai knives out, battle ready and wary.

"Do you sense something, Crow?"

The crow masked ANBU turned to his companions. "I can sense two missing nin on the path five hundred meters in front of us. Eagle, what do you see?"

"Byakugan! Those are two missing nins alright. They're both members of the Akatsuki. One of them is Orochimaru. The other one is… I don't understand. His chakra network is… not human. There are several layers to his body. It's like his body is comprised of several different… puppets?

"Interesting," pondered Itachi. He pulled a small black book out from his hip pouch and opened it to a dog-eared page. "Is this him?"

Neji turned his white eyes on his captain. "Yes. That's him. How did you know? Who is he?"

Itachi gazed unseeingly through the leaves. "They haven't sensed us yet, good." Turning to his team, he said, "Our other opponent is Sasori of the Red Sand, an S-Ranked Criminal from Suna. We had received intelligence from Suna that Sasori was believed to be a member of the Akatsuki. He was involved in the abduction of the Kazekage Gaara last year. Sasori is extremely dangerous. All of his weapons have been dipped in poison and I can guarantee that I don't have the antidote. We'll have to be sure not to be cut by any of his weapons. He's a puppet master, like Eagle said."

"So what's the plan?" asked the crane masked ANBU.

"We outnumber them two to one," commented the eagle masked ANBU.

The owl masked ANBU sighed, "Troublesome. I doubt the three of us are any match for either of them. Even three on one."

"I'm afraid so," said the crow masked ANBU. "Orochimaru is the more dangerous opponent, so I'll face him. The three of you will face Sasori. And then if one of us defeats their opponent before the other, that person can assist the other."

"What do we know about Sasori? Do you have a strategy for us, Crow?"

"Eagle, your Byakugan will be very helpful here. The puppets that he uses will have secret compartments with weapons in them. If you three are able to identify and neutralize the traps in advance, you'll stand a sporting chance. Eagle, keep Owl and Crane informed of any moves that Sasori is going to make. Owl, trap him in your shadow sewing technique. Eagle and Crane, you two will focus on destroying his puppets. That is the first thing you three should do. Paralyze Sasori. Don't let him move. He will need to move to operate his puppets. Who has the best destructive ninjutsu? Preferably something mid or long range."

"Most of mine are gentle fist based so I have to get close to strike," said the eagle masked nin. "I don't think any of my water based ninjutsu would be too helpful here."

"A fire based jutsu would be very effective. Owl, you're a fire type, right?" asked the crow masked nin.

"Troublesome."

"Should we try to capture one alive?" asked the crane masked nin. "We could gather a lot of intel from them."

"If we can, yes. But let's aim to kill. Our foe is too dangerous to be taken lightly. We can't hold back at all. Are you three ready?" the crow masked nin asked. His fingers flashed in blinding patterns as he wove a genjutsu.

A heartbeat later, the four masked ANBU members appeared in front of the two ninjas wearing the distinctive red cloud cloaks of the Akatsuki. The taller Akatsuki member removed his straw hat to reveal smiling serpentine features. "Well, well, well. A crow, a crane, an eagle and an owl all come out to play."

The other ninja was squat. He grumbled, "Let's make this quick. I hate to be kept waiting."

"I don't see why we can't have a little fun before we head over to Konoha."

"You're Orochimaru," said the ANBU wearing the owl mask, his dark hair in a ponytail above his head.

"Very good, boy. Though I doubt you'll live long enough for us to learn your name, ANBU."

* * *

"Kage Nui no Jutsu!" Shikamaru muttered. Crouching on the ground behind Genma, he focused his chakra and tried to catch Sasori's puppet body within the shadows he wove through the air.

Orochimaru jumped out of the way to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. The ANBU in the crow mask brandished his tanto at the snake summoner, driving him away from his partner.

"Sen'ei Tajashu!" called out Orochimaru.

A nest of large snakes erupted from the Sannin's sleeves and wrapped around the crow masked ANBU, binding him tightly in only the blink of an eye. The Sannin snorted to himself. "Shameful. Is this really the best that my old village can offer? I'm almost embarrassed to be a _Konoha_ missing nin."

"Trust me, we're equally embarrassed that you're a _Konoha_ missing nin," muttered the crane masked ANBU.

When Orochimaru glanced back at the ANBU he had captured, he was surprised to see that the man had dissolved into a murder of crows. "Genjutsu?" The man appeared in front of him before he knew it and kicked him into a tree. He was barely able to make out red eyes from behind the crow mask. "Can it be?" Orochimaru wondered. "Uchiha Itachi?"

Itachi frowned from behind his mask. He really wasn't supposed to reveal his identity to Akatsuki, but this could work in his favor. He slowly untied his porcelain ANBU mask and tied it to the strap around his waist. The battle seemed to pause when Itachi's identity was revealed.

Orochimaru grinned more devilishly than before and said, " Uchiha Itachi. I see you have those beautiful Sharingan eyes. I'm quite fortunate. To think I came this way to get the nine-tailed fox. A much better treasure awaits me, your body."

"Not this again," muttered Sasori. "At least this one's a bit older than the usual boys that you go after."

"Eh?" wondered the eagle masked ANBU.

"What?" Itachi gasped.

"Ew!" exclaimed the owl masked ANBU.

"That's right!" Orochimaru cackled. "I want to use your body for my next immortality jutsu so I can finally possess the Sharingan."

"That's a relief. I thought you were actually propositioning Itachi in front of us," the crane masked ANBU said.

Orochimaru just continued to smile evilly.

"Sorry, Orochimaru. I'm flattered, but really not interested," Itachi explained awkwardly.

The puppet master seemed to evade the shadows closing in on him, but in the blink of an eye was bound tightly in the darkness of the owl masked ANBU's technique. "I've got you now!" shouted the caster. He had used the confusion from Orochimaru's strange proposal to capture Sasori in his Shadow possession jutsu.

"Impossible," muttered the puppet master to himself. He had been sure that he had dodged them.

Itachi forced Orochimaru away from the battle with Sasori. It would be too dangerous to give Orochimaru the chance to interfere.

The crane masked ANBU came at Sasori, intending to smash apart his puppet Hiruko. Although the shadows bound his puppet Hiruko tightly, he was still free to release many of his hidden traps.

"Senbon needles from his mouth," the eagle masked ANBU barked out. He seemed to recognize Sasori's trap even as he opened it. How?

"Hakkeshō Kaiten!" The ninja jumped in front of his comrades and whirled about releasing chakra from every chakra point. The needles spun off back towards their sender. The eagle masked ANBU spun towards Hiruko, bound by the shadows. The puppet's body blasted apart on impact.

The three ANBU leapt together and faced their opponent. Sasori rose from the ruins of his puppet armor and faced them. He couldn't see their facial expressions hidden behind their masks, but he could tell from the way their heads twitched imperceptivity that they were surprised by his youthful features.

Orochimaru and Itachi were fighting not too far away. Itachi had gained the upper hand. None of the Sannin's hits had landed on Itachi, while Itachi had scored some devastating hits on the Snake Sannin. They were testing each other mostly with a mixture of taijutsu and genjutsu. It was strange, Orochimaru had thought he had hit Itachi a couple times, but it seemed that his perception had been off. Was this the work of the genjutsu master?

Aghast at seeing Sasori's Hiruko body destroyed, Orochimaru retreated from his battle with Itachi to join forces with his partner against the ANBU. Itachi appeared at his own comrade's side a moment later.

"You in the eagle mask, you must be from the main family of the Hyuga clan. And the owl mask, you are a Nara. I know all about your techniques," said the Snake Sannin.

"Your teamwork is impressive. I admit that I haven't been pushed this far in a long time. But you will get no further," said Sasori. As his partner was rapidly forming hand signs, the puppet master pulled out a scroll from his sleeve and unfurled it.

"Fūton: Daitoppa!" said Orochimaru

"Katon: Gōryūka no Jutsu!" said Itachi at the same time.

The ANBU team was able to barely make out the two words on the scroll, 'Sandaime Kazekage,' before the puppet master and Snake Sannin were engulfed in the flames from the Uchiha's technique. The roaring dragon seemed to grow stronger as it swallowed the Snake Sannin's wind technique and engulfed the clearing in smoke and heat. With the technique centered on them like that, the Akatsuki surely would not have any hope of survival.

The flames smoldered out as the grass around the ruined body of the puppet master smoked darkly. All that remained of Orochimaru were the ashes of something that looked like a snake skin. The crane masked ANBU held out his sword in front of him as he approached Sasori. The puppet master's remains were strange charred pieces strewn through the clearing. He nudged one with his foot.

"Don't get too close to him, Crane," Itachi cautioned. "I can still see Sasori and Orochimaru's chakra with my Sharingan."

Not hearing the clattering of smoldering pieces as they flew together, the ANBU turned to his companions and said, "They look pretty dead to me."

"Get away from him!" Itachi yelled.

Blood dribbled out from behind the mask. Poison and blood poured out from the wound in his chest. Sasori's blade had pierced through his heart and gone all the way through his chest. A mortal wound.

Shikamaru forgot protocol in his shock as he yelled out, "Genma!"

Genma slid to his knees, head bowed as Sasori appeared behind him. The sword was still sticking grotesquely out of his chest. The Akatsuki member seemed a horrible mockery of humanity. He may have been human once, but his obsession had twisted him into something else. His body was scorched beyond recognition. What may have once been metal cables within his stomach was now a melted clump of metal. Propellers attached to his hips were twisted and warped, helpless in the face of the searing heat from Itachi's technique.

"You may have destroyed my favorite puppet and the storage scrolls I carried with me, but I am far from defeated, ANBU."

Itachi, Shikamaru and Neji slid into defensive stances. Hidden behind their masks, Shikamaru and Neji were not able to properly betray their shock as Genma stood up in front of him. Slowly dragging Sasori's sword out of his body, he pointed it at his comrades.

"I'll have to thank your friend Genma for allowing me to use his body like this. Like I said, you may have destroyed most of my storage scrolls, but the fight is far from over," said Sasori.

The snake skin stirred. Orochimaru seemed to shed his skin as he pulled himself out from his own charred remains. It was slimy and unnatural.

* * *

"Keep it together, Owl, Eagle. Don't panic," said Itachi.

Sasori moved his fingers and then Genma pounced, swinging the sword, now dripping blood and poison at them. Shikamaru was barely able to block the blow aimed at him in time before Gemna's body prepared another.

Neji unsheathed his sword and raced in to help. He called out to his teammates, "The only animate part of Sasori is the small compartment on his chest that holds his heart. That's where his chakra is emanating from. If we're able to destroy the heart, we can destroy him."

Now fully regenerated, Orochimaru shook himself and smiled at the ANBU. "An impressive jutsu, Itachi, but you'll have to do better than that to defeat me. Your Sharingan eyes will be mine."

"Why don't I show you the power of the Sharingan that you covet so much," Itachi taunted.

Closing his right eye and summoning his Mangekyo Sharingan, he murmured, "Amaterasu."

A small burst of black flame erupted on the Sannin's chest, blooming outward. It burned much too powerfully and too fast. Orochimaru was able to slither out of his body, but not before the black flames began licking at the new one. After the ashes of four bodies lay on the ground, Orochimaru began to panic. Itachi's jutsu was burning away his bodies just as fast as he was slithering out of them.

When the black flames captured the right arm of his next body, Orochimaru decided to beat a strategic retreat. He cut off his own arm and body flickered away, leaving Sasori to his fate.

Itachi joined the fight just as Sasori had Gemna's body outmaneuvered the owl masked nin and deal a shallow slice across Shikamaru's stomach. Loathing to use his Mangekyo Sharingan again, but wanting to cut things short, Itachi opened his eye to inflict the black flames upon the puppet master.

Tying his crow mask back on his head, Itachi pulled on a pair of medical gloves from his hip pouch and crouched in front of Shikamaru. Peeling apart the silver armor and the tight black shirt below, Itachi could see the jagged slice across his teammate's stomach. The wound was not deep; it probably won't even scar. However, the poison had seeped into Shikamaru's body and was slowly destroying him. Neji wiped a hand across his brow and crouched next to his captain. Itachi took off the owl mask and looked into Shikamaru's eyes.

The younger man smiled at his captain. "I should have listened to you. You told us not to get exposed to the poison… Troublesome. I'm sorry, Itachi. It was an honor to serve with you."

"Don't make it sound so final. We're just an hour's run from Konoha. We can have Tsunade operating on you in about that time. Just hold on."

* * *

**Here's a list of the jutsus used:**

**Kage Nui no Jutsu – Shadow Sewing Technique**

**Hakkeshō Kaiten - Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation**

**Sen'ei Tajashu - Multiple Striking Shadow Snakes**

**Fūton: Daitoppa - Wind Release: Great Breakthrough**

**Katon: Gōryūka no Jutsu - Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique**

* * *

**A/N: Please Review!  
**


	5. Chapter Four - An Unwelcome Suitor

******A/N: A special thank you to ItaHinaSasu, PervertAnimeOtaku, NaviTheGoddess, Nova5621, Lecs and AN1M3STAR for their lovely reviews.**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

**An Unwelcome Suitor**

**a.k.a "Well that was a ringing endorsement for arranged marriages."**

* * *

Jiraiya was surprised when only two members of Team Itachi came to his office to make their report. They both looked weary as if they had endured some terrible ordeal. Jiraiya wanted to yell and rage, but the defeated slump of the two men's shoulders gave him pause. "Genma is dead and Shikamaru's in the hospital with severe poisoning. Tsunade's working on the antidote now. What happened?"

The crow masked nin said one word, "Akatsuki."

"You two can take off your masks in here." The Hokage paused for a moment as Itachi and Neji removed their masks to look at him. "Did my contact betray you? Was there an ambush? I thought that you would have prepared for that possibility, Itachi."

Itachi related the story, "We had no trouble meeting with the Akatsuki spy and handing off the information you gave us about the Hozuki boy. We ran into trouble while returning to the village. We encountered Sasori of the Red Sand and Orochimaru on the path about an hour from Konoha. They said that they were after Naruto. Genma was killed during the fight and Shikamaru was poisoned. Sasori was killed and Orochimaru lost an arm before fleeing the fight."

"Orochimaru and Sasori, eh. And so close to the village. I wonder what happened to our patrols. They should have noticed them and reported back."

"I checked with my Byakugan and there were no other active chakra signatures around. They are presumed dead."

"I'll have to follow up about that later," said Jiraiya with a sigh. He turned to Itachi. "What information were you able to get out of our spy?"

"The Akatsuki captured the three and the six tails in Kiri three months ago. The rumors about the Water Diamyo's death are also true. The Akatsuki were involved in the assassination."

"It's very difficult to get information from Kiri and Water Country. Both of their tailed beasts were captured?" The Toad Sage rubbed his chin. "This is not a good sign. Only the eight and nine tails remain. Naruto will be in a lot of danger. Did the contact have any information about the Akatuki's recent movements?"

"Yes. The Akatsuki plan to enter a high stakes poker tournament on Moon Island in one month. The entry fee is 100 million ryo and there are seats for ten at the table. I fear to think of what the Akatsuki can do with 1 billion ryo."

Jiraiya seemed shocked. "That's rather unusual. I wonder why they'd plan to do that before capturing the final two tailed beasts. They must be raising funds for war. With that kind of money, they could buy an army or two."

Itachi nodded. "And with that sort of fee, how can a shinobi village hope to defeat them at the table?"

Jiraiya rubbed his chin again. "We would need to be sponsored by the diamyo or another such rich noble. This will be very tricky. I'll send a message to the Raikage informing him of the situation. They may want to participate as well." He glanced back at the two of them. "Thank you for your report gentlemen. Now if you don't mind, Neji, I'd like to talk to Itachi alone."

"Yes, sir," said Neji before heading out of the Hokage's office.

Jiraiya stood up from his desk to lean against its front. "You did very well today, Itachi. Not many of our ANBU could stand up to Orochimaru and live to tell the tale. And I was glad to hear that Hinata's experimental treatment on your eyes was so successful."

"Thank you," he replied. "There was something else that I wanted to tell you. When I was battling Orochimaru, he said something very strange. Because you were teammates, I thought you could shed some light on it."

"We were teammates, yes, but I never understood him very well. What did he say to you?"

"He said that he wanted to use my body for an immortality jutsu. The way he said it was really creepy - like he was implying something else."

Jiraiya guffawed at the expression on Itachi's face. "Orochimaru and I have different types. I usually go for beautiful curvaceous women and Orochimaru likes his prepubescent boys, the dark haired, dark eyed ones the most. I guess his tastes have matured somewhat."

"Well this is slightly horrifying," Itachi drawled. "Somehow this is not making me feel any better."

Jiraiya laughed again. "Why don't I promise to take you with me on my next...research trip? That'll take your mind off Orochimaru's weird obsession with you."

Itachi smirked. "I'm honored to be considered for such a… noble quest. Though, I'd hate to be put on Naruto's short list for stealing away some of your time with him."

Jiraiya leaned forward, grinning lasciviously. "I heard from Kakashi that you are going to be starting a similarly _noble_ quest soon yourself. Something about having to knock up a kunoichi to get the Uchiha clan off your back?"

Itachi shifted his weight to one leg and crossed his arms over his chest. "Jeez, does the whole village know by now? Kakashi-senpai can be such a gossip."

"Hehe," said Jiraiya. "Only a select few have been notified. If you'd like my help in…interviewing some of your candidates, you only need to ask. I'm feeling inspired to write a new book in my Makeout Series. Icha Icha Uchiha. No, Icha Icha Uchicha."

"That's a horrible title," Itachi quipped.

Jiraiya shrugged. "I'm sure I'll think of something better once I start writing it."

"I'm going to expect a certain percent of the profit if you're going to use my story or situation in this new book."

"One percent," said Jiraiya.

"That's almost insulting, Hokage-sama. Thirty percent."

"Five percent."

"Would you really be willing to throw away inspiration like this? You haven't written a book since you became Hokage five years ago. Twenty percent."

"You drive a hard bargain, Itachi. I'll give you ten percent."

"I won't settle for less than fifteen percent,"

"Done," said Jiraiya.

* * *

Hyuga Neji strode confidently down the hallways of the main house, towards Hinata's rooms. She was running late for this "important lunch" with the Kenkaji noblemen. Pulling up the sleeves of his ceremonial robes, he felt a bit overdressed.

He was almost knocked over by his cousin Hanabi as she sped out of her room fastening on her hip pouch. "Oops, sorry Neji," she apologized.

Neji grinned at her, "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Tying her Konoha headband over her brow and knotting it tightly, she whispered conspiratorially to her cousin, "I thought I'd head over early for training so I wouldn't have to meet those boorish Kenkaji nobles."

Neji snorted. "I wish I had that good of an excuse. I got strong armed into this because I'm the head of the Branch House."

Hanabi frowned. "That's too bad. But at least you'll be able to keep Hina company. I almost feel bad for leaving you, Hina and father at their mercy. Sure we get all our silk from them, but why do we have to entertain them as well, the pair of strutting peacocks?" Neji raised an eyebrow at her. She raised an eyebrow back at him, sighing dramatically. "The trouble we Hyuga clan members have to face to dress well."

"Said like a true Hyuga," Neji drawled.

"Well I've really got to get going. I told you that my team will be taking part in the chunin exams this year right? I've got to get some more practice in. Well I suppose if I can't entertain those Kenkaji nobles with you, Neji, the least I can do is beat the stuffing out of my two Uchiha teammates." Hanabi waved goodbye to him as she rushed off, twisting her hair up into a bun at the back of her head and securing it with two hair pins. "See you later, Neji. Don't want to keep Shisui-sensei waiting!"

Neji quirked a half smile as he watched her go. Walking further down the hall, he stopped in front of Hinata's room. Surprised not to hear her respond to his knock, he opened the door and peered inside. He could see Hinata, dressed in a navy blue kimono, kneeling at the bottom of her closet.

He rushed in and lifted her up. She was petite, weighted so little in his arms. "Are you alright, Hinata? Is something wrong?"

Hinata looked up at him with wild eyes, her midnight dark hair in tangles. "I'm fine, Neji."

Neji raised an emphatic eyebrow at her. "Then why on earth are you crawling around on the ground?"

"I can't find the obi for my kimono."

He laughed and picked up a piece of light purple silk that she hadn't noticed because she had been kneeling on it. He beckoned her with a hand. She laughed and turned around for him to tie it around her waist. When she faced him again, he looked at her in surprise. The kimono was from the finest silk and had been made with the finest hands. It flattered Hinata's figure exquisitely. The dark fabric complemented the ivory of her skin and the delicate orchids climbing up the kimono brought out of the purple undertones in her pearlescent eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing. I was just surprised. You look beautiful, Hinata."

Hinata blushed. "That's really nice of you to…wait a second. Why are you surprised that I look beautiful?"

"Ack!" he ducked as she hit him over the head with a clenched fist. "Have mercy, Hinata-chan!"

"You deserved it," she announced before sitting at her dressing table and brushing some rouge on her cheeks. She glanced up at Neji who was rubbing his head unhappily. "Are the others already downstairs?"

"Yeah. Hiashi-sama sent me to fetch you. He was getting worried when you hadn't come down yet. He thought you might have forgotten about our 'illustrious' visitors."

"I was just running late. Lost track of the time at the hospital."

"Were you treating Shikamaru? I didn't see you when I went over to visit."

"Shizune and Tsunade were taking the lead. Tsunade had me collecting some rare herbs that she needed for the antidote that we didn't have on hand."

"Is he going to be alright?"

"Yes, I believe so. Tsunade was able to mix the antidote. I had to run over here to prepare for lunch, so I didn't get to see if it administered. But he should be fine. "Could you help me with my hair, Neji?"

"Sure," he accepted the hairbrush she gave him and lightly brushed her long hair while Hinata focused on her mascara. "Are you going to wear it down?"

"No, father wanted me to wear it up with the hair pins that he got for me in the Land of Water."

Neji looked uneasy. "Not the ones that I just saw Hanabi wearing?"

Hinata's face fell. "Oh no! I guess I shouldn't have let her borrow them." Finished with her makeup, she turned to Neji. "What am I going to do? I don't have any other hair pins."

Neji was thoughtful for a moment before his eyes lit up and he smiled at her. "We're ninja aren't we? Just use transformation jutsu on some senbon or something."

"Brilliant!" Hinata grinned. Then her face fell. "I don't actually have any senbon, Neji. I just use chakra needles or water senbon."

"Then use a transformation jutsu on a pair of chakra needles. You're a kunoichi aren't you!"

"Right!" Hinata said.

Now suitably dressed, the pair hurried down to the dining room where Lord Hiashi was already entertaining their guests. The three members of the Main House Council were also present. Neji held out his arm for Hinata and she glided in gracefully. The two men at the table that she didn't know stood up as she entered. She was impressed by their gallantry. The younger man even kissed her hand and she blushed at the attention. She took a seat at her father's right hand. Neji sat beside her and to the left of the young noble. The three members of the counsel sat across from them. Their white Byakugan eyes looked brittle in their pinched faces.

"Hinata, those hair pins are exquisite," Hiashi said pointedly. "They look just like that pair I got you in the Land of Water."

Hinata smiled guiltily. She wasn't surprised that he saw right through her jutsu. But their guests weren't ninjas, so they wouldn't have any idea. "Thank you, father. I'm glad you like them."

Hinata reached gracefully across the table and took the teapot to pour the tea. Neji was the only one to notice how the younger man looked down the front of Hinata's kimono when she leaned his way. He glanced at the other young man suspiciously.

The older man, Hato Kaba took a sip of tea and smiled at Hinata. "Thank you."

"My pleasure, Hato-sama," Hinata replied.

"That kimono looks very fine on you, Hinata," continued Hato Kaba. "It's made from Kenkaji silk after all."

Hinata nodded. "It was a most generous gift, Hato-sama. I thank you."

"Isn't she a vision, Okami," asked Kaba.

"From heaven," replied the son, grinning at Hinata lecherously.

Kaba chuckled. He turned to Hiashi, "It's so nice to be in the company of such distinguished and elegant people. We were accosted by four extremely rude ninja at the gates to your village."

"I must apologize for that," replied Hiashi.

"They treated us with such suspicion and derision," said Okami. "It's a disgrace for men of their station to even address their betters!"

Neji frowned mightily. "I'm sure that wasn't their intention, Hato-sama. It is their duty to protect the village hidden in the leaves. I'm sure they merely wished to establish that you indeed were who you said you were. No doubt their intention was merely to protect Konoha."

"Indeed, Neji," agreed Hiashi.

"Perhaps, but when we were mere steps from your gates, we had two of your Konoha ninjas attack myself and my guards. Unpardonable! I will be asking my brother-in-law, the Diamyo, to discipline them. One of the two men was even the Hokage himself! It's shameful for him to be out of the village traveling like he was. The boy he was with was a dim looking teenager named Naruto."

Hinata and Neji both perked up at the mention of Naruto, but remained silent.

"I'm sure that this was all a terrible misunderstanding," said Hiashi.

"We can only hope," said Kaba. He turned to his son before saying to Hiashi. "We noticed a very nice garden on our way in. Okami expressed an interest in seeing it. I wonder if…"

"I'm sure that Hinata and Neji would be pleased to show it to him," Hiashi replied.

The three young men and women stood from the table excused themselves politely. Like Neji, Hiashi had also noticed the way that Okami had been eyeing Hinata. He didn't want to send his daughter out alone with him.

One of the council members cleared his throat. "Hiashi, I'm sure that Neji's time would be better spent discussing matters with us here. He is, after all, the head of the branch house."

Hiashi frowned, but agreed with him. "Indeed, Kaede, you speak the truth. Neji, please stay and discuss matters with us."

Hinata trailed behind Okami and lingered at the door as she closed it. She was startled by Kaba Hato's next words.

"I've always been interested in having my son marry a kunoichi. And the Hyuga clan is renowned and very powerful."

"Thank you. The Hyuga clan has always prided itself on its strength," replied one of the council members.

"Indeed, Councilman Kioshi. You'll have to forgive me for my impudence, Lord Hiashi. But there are rumors that your older daughter is weaker than your younger one. It's truly a shame that the Hyuga prodigy of this generation was born into the branch family."

"Neji is like a son to me," Hiashi answered.

"Indeed," Kaba mumbled.

"You need not have any concerns on my account, Lord Hato. As the head of the Branch House, my loyalty is first and foremost to the Main House."

"Indeed," Kaba sneered. "However, it is Hinata that concerns me. Though she is sorely lacking in any talent as a ninja, she more than makes up for her other shortcomings with her looks. She's a stunner."

Hinata pressed her ear even closer to the door. They were talking about her!

"Thank you. Hinata is very lovely, I agree. She's the very image of my late wife."

"You're a lucky man, Hiashi. Now if you'll again forgive my impertinence, I have a proposition for you that I believe you will find very pleasing. Hinata will marry my son Okami, and then you're more powerful younger daughter, Hanabi, will be the heiress to your clan. Not only that, with our children's union your clan will share in my considerable wealth."

Hinata stepped back from the door with a frown. Is that what her father really thought of her? Her thoughts were interrupted by the figure standing at her side. Okami smiled superiorly down at her, offering his arm. "Shall we, my dear. I long to see your gardens."

Hinata wasn't sure why, but when this man said it, it sounded perverse. She took his arm, but at the same time, held him at arm's length. Not to be easily deterred, Okami pulled her close to his side.

"This way," she said, taking the lead.

She wove her way through her home to the outside hallway that opened out to the gardens. Arm in arm with him, Hinata finally had a chance to take him in. His eyes and hair were dark. They didn't have that smoldering intensity that was present in the Uchiha brothers; his coloring was more similar to her classmate Shikamaru Nara's. He wore his hair long and instead of tying it back it fell pin-straight framing his face. His small dark eyes showed arrogance and his weak chin belied the strength he tried to convey in his manner and movements.

From the way that he carried himself, Hinata knew that he thought himself handsome and powerful. As a kunoichi who was acquainted with men who she considered _both_ handsome and powerful, she was unimpressed. Just days ago, she had treated Itachi Uchiha, perhaps the most powerful ninja in the Fire Country and the Head of one of the strongest clans in Konoha. His manner was kind and respectful. He was confident in his power and no doubt saw little purpose in flaunting it. She was undoubtedly biased, but she thought Itachi was a very handsome man, handsome and powerful.

Perhaps she was being too hard on Okami. As a civilian, it would be near impossible to compete with the standards unconsciously set in her mind. She glanced up at him and was surprised to see the guilty look in his eyes when he realized that she had just caught him staring down the front of her kimono.

Perhaps she had spoken too soon. What a creep!

Frosted glass walls spanned the outside corners of the open hallways. They provided some protection from the elements but still allowed a wonderful view of nature. Stepping down the stairs, she led Okami down the stone walkway to the flower garden. "You're in luck. Many of the flowers are in still full bloom at this time in July."

Okami took her hands in his. She glimpsed something dark in his eyes as he leaned towards her. "Beautiful indeed. Though it would be difficult to compare to the beautiful flower I have right now in my arms."

He swooped in to steal a kiss. Hinata merely rolled her eyes and titled her head to the left. His lips brushed her cheek instead. Did this man have no shame? Trying to sneak off and steal a kiss? Well, he would have to try harder.

"Is something wrong, Hinata-hime?" Okami asked his brows furrowed. He grasped her upper arms firmly, trying to keep her in place - no doubt hoping for another attempt. Hinata could see that he was trying to be polite, but he wasn't able to hide his annoyance well. It was plain in the tense slant of his eyebrows. "There is no need to be so coy."

It wasn't difficult to play the part of the blushing virgin. It was almost type casting for her. "But Okami, I hardly know you! It wouldn't be proper when you are staying here as my father's guest."

He leaned in again, grasping her upper arms tightly. Huffing with annoyance, Hinata put her hands over his and none to gently pry his hands off her arms. She could have very easily broken one of his arms, but she didn't want to get in trouble with the Hyuga clan elders.

"Come, let me show you the flowers. The striped carnations are so beautiful this time of year. They're almost done blooming."

Not to be deterred, Okami took her arm and said, "I'd much rather see the roses. The red ones over there are simply divine."

"But their thorns are so sharp. Don't you fear that you will prick yourself?" Hinata asked.

"I'm not afraid of a couple thorns. Come, my dear."

His vice-like grip on her arm would be hard to slip out of politely. Perhaps her subtle hints were too subtle for this man. Ino had hammered the language of flowers into her head. Red roses meant true and romantic love. Striped Carnations meant a refusal. Either Okami wasn't versed in the language of flowers or decided not to heed her message. She wouldn't put either option past him. If he tried to kiss her again, she won't be polite.

When they reached the trellis where the roses were climbing up the wall, Hinata held her breath and readied herself for whatever mischief Okami would try next. What she didn't expect was for him to take a long slender box out of his pocket and open it with a flourish.

"This is a pendent important to my family. It was my mothers, but I would like you to have it."

The pendent was quite pretty. It had a large emerald set in it that was cut to catch the light. The golden border had an elaborate inscription running along the outside. Okami took it by its heavy gold chain and made to clasp it around her neck.

Hinata wasn't a fool. She knew what this would signify, just as she knew what the red roses and striped carnations signified. Accepting this was tantamount to accepting a marriage proposal. This she had no interest in at all.

"It's too much, I can't accept it."

"I insist."

"I'm honored by the gesture, Okami. But I assure you that I cannot accept your gift." He meant to grab her arm again, but Hinata had finally had enough. "I thank you for your attention, but I regret to say that I must be going."

"You can't be serious."

"I am not one to take things lightly."

She turned on her heel and walked back into the compound. What a horrid man!

* * *

Akimichi Choji had always hated hospitals. The sterile smell of alcohol and medicine made him feel slightly sick to his stomach. And the hospital food...it was a travesty. But his best friend was in the hospital, so he was willing to put that aside to go and visit. It hadn't been difficult to charm his way through the front doors after he explained that the food he was carrying was his own lunch. The Akimichi family was renowned for their large appetites, so two meals could be easily excused.

Shikamaru's ANBU team had returned from their mission and Shikamaru had been rushed to the hospital. He heard about his friend's hospitalization from his father. Shikamaru had been in surgery for most of the morning and visitors were not permitted until he was out of surgery.

He found the room with little trouble. It was simple, with a bed in the middle and two chairs against the wall facing the bed. Yamanaka Ino was already curled up in one of them. Sitting cross-legged with a large tome open in her lap, she was staring quietly at their sleeping teammate. Her blonde head rested on her right hand propped up on the armrest. He couldn't see her eyes through her long blonde bangs.

She shifted when he walked into the room. Wiping a hand across her eyes, she cleared her throat and said, "Hi, Choji."

She gave him a pained smile, her eyes were red rimmed. Dropping the food on a side table by a beautiful vase of light pink peonies, Choji walked over and pulled Ino up off the chair and into a tight hug. The book she was reading thumped loudly on the ground. Luckily it didn't wake up their sleeping teammate.

"Have you been crying?"

Ino sniffed as she rested her blonde head against his chest. "No, I just got a speck of dust in my eye."

"Has he woken up yet?"

Ino let out a shaky breath. "He's being sedated. He was in s-so much pain when he arrived, that they had to give him a sedative. Tsunade was able to extract some of the poison. She's working on the antidote now."

"Well I brought two lunches with me. No one ever gets better on hospital meals. I guess if Shika's sleeping, you can have his."

Choji dropped in the other chair and pulled out the two bento boxes. Leaning down, Ino picked up the book she was reading and placed it on the table next to him. Accepting the box, she sat down cross legged in the chair she had occupied before.

"Thanks, Choji."

"No problem." He looked over at the book. "Reading about poisons?"

Ino shrugged as she broke apart the chopsticks and picked up a tempura. She looked over at the book on the side table. "Yeah. It's not very exciting reading."

Choji looked sideways at his friend. A blonde bang had fallen down across her face again, hiding her face from him. He saw a teardrop fall into the soy sauce. "He's going to be fine, you'll see."

"He's been so still," whispered Ino. "It's like he's already dead."

"He's not going to die," said Choji firmly. "Shizune will have the antidote for him soon. Everything's going to be alright."

There came a voice from the doorway. "I had a feeling that I would find you two here."

Ino and Choji turned to see Sarutobi Asuma leaning in the doorway.

"Asuma-sensei," said Choji

"Sensei!" said Ino, wiping her eyes again.

"How's our boy doing?" asked Asuma as he slouched into the room, hands in his pockets.

"Lady Tsunade is working on an antidote right now," said Ino. "He's been sedated for the time being."

Asuma stopped in front of the bed and looked down pensively at his favorite student. "Dry your tears, Ino," he said without looking over at her. "He'll be fine. He'd say that your weeping was too troublesome."

Ino sniffed and said gruffly, "I'm not crying, there's just something in my eye."

"You're a terrible liar, Ino," replied Asuma.

"How's your little girl doing?" asked Choji.

"She's doing fine," said Asuma. "She's turning two next month. She wants her Auntie Ino and Uncles Shikamaru and Choji to be there of course." He glanced over at Ino. "You'll have to teach me how to braid hair like you do. Shuiro is always saying, 'Daddy! Mommy! You can never do my hair as well as Auntie Ino can! When is Auntie Ino coming over again? I miss her!"

Ino chuckled and dried her eyes. "I'm off from missions this week. I'll try to stop over when Shikamaru's out of the hospital."

"How are things going at the academy, Choji?"

"Oh," said a deep voice from the hallway. "I didn't realize that Shikamaru had so many visitors today. I can come back tomorrow."

"That you, Itachi?"

"Yes," said the man as he walked in.

Choji and Ino eyed him with interest. So this was Shikamaru's infamous ANBU captain and their classmate Uchiha Sasuke's famous older brother. It was strange. They had lived in the same village for nearly eighteen years and their teammate had been on the man's ANBU team for over a year, but Choji and Ino had never had too many dealings with Uchiha Itachi. They were practically strangers. But of course they knew of him. The Uchiha clan head was famous in Konoha, in the Fire Country and in the entire Shinobi world.

Considering the name he had made for himself and the power he welded, Ino was surprised how young he looked. He looked a great deal like Sasuke. They had the same dark eyes and similar facial structures. Itachi's hair wasn't as deep a black and he wore it in a different style. The family resemblance however was clear.

He must have had time to return home and change out of his ANBU gear. He wore dark shinobi pants and the long sleeve shirt over his green flak jacket common among the jonin of the village; the Uchiha fan was prominent on his shoulder.

"How is he?" he asked, standing next to Asuma by the foot of the bed.

"He's been sedated," said Ino for the third time. "Tsunade is working on the antidote as we speak."

Itachi closed his eyes as he sighed in relief. Ino was surprised to see such a display of emotion from the Uchiha clan head.

She had heard about their mission from Tsunade earlier. Shikamaru and his ANBU team had faced two Akatsuki members, two S-rank criminals. She had read about them in her bingo book, Sasori of the Red Sand and Orochimaru, the feared Snake Sannin from their own village. Her ANBU team was strong, but they wouldn't have lasted five minutes against such foes.

Shiranui Genma was already cold in the ground and Shikamaru would be dead if not for the medical prowess of Lady Tsunade. But here, here was Uchiha Itachi. He had killed Sasori of the Red Sand and sent Orochimaru running after destroying the Snake Sannin's arm. He was a little pale yes, but he had not a hair out of place. It was remarkable. And this handsome young man stood humbly beside his ANBU teammate's bedside, praying for her teammate's life.

He turned his dark eyes on her and bowed humbly. "I'm so sorry to have allowed your boyfriend to be so seriously wounded while under my care as his captain."

Ino turned her red rimmed eyes to him. "That's very kind of you, Itachi-san. Shika is my teammate, not my b-boyfriend."

Itachi looked embarrassed. Asuma chuckled from beside the Uchiha clan head. "Don't sweat it, Itachi. It's a common misconception."

* * *

The sun was low in the sky when they finally arrived at the Shrine. Sasuke could hear the calls of several nightingales announcing the morning. With their drab plumage, they were difficult to pick out from the leaves.

"Hō-hoke-kyo."

The sun beamed down from directly over the entrance to the shrine, bathing the four ANBU in a bright light almost blinding in its intensity. The pathway up to the shrine twisted and turned up the side of a mountain; the gray cement river beckoning them ever upwards. The deciduous trees helped to hide the holy place from prying eyes and enclosed the place in cool shade, particularly comforting on such a warm July morning.

The tripartite entrance way was made of wood with a central gate that towered over the outer two. Banners decorated the sides of the middle gate with the kanji for Fire proudly emblazed on their white cloth. The crimson shingles looked newly painted. The ANBU team had been directed to the shrine by the monks at the Fire Temple. This secret shrine was a hiding place for their treasures. Half a day east of the Fire Temple, the shrine was situated in the southern reaches of a mountain range.

The courtyard was littered with loose stones that rustled as the ANBU team made their way through it. The panther masked ninja stopped at the small building to the left of the shrine that housed a well. He removed his mask and picked up one of the wooden ladles propped up against the trough. Taking the wooden ladle in his right hand, he washed his left and then right before cupping his right hand and rinsing his mouth with the water as well. He spat out the water before replacing the ladle and his mask.

Turning to his fox masked ANBU team member who was no doubt gaping from behind his mask, the ANBU drawled, "Never visited a shrine before, Fox?"

The dog masked ANBU put a hand on the blonde ANBU's shoulder to keep the blonde haired man from charging his dark haired teammate. "I can't say that I have either. I'm surprised that you have, Panther."

"My clan likes to uphold some of their older traditions," replied the panther masked ANBU enigmatically.

The three ANBU turned as their comrade in the beaver mask walked over to them with one of the shrine priests. Unlike their brethren at the Fire Temple, the priests at the shine wore crimson robes. The man bowed to them and said, "We have been expecting you. I will show you where the scrolls are being guarded."

With the loose gravel crunching under their feet, the ANBU team followed the man past the shrine to a hidden set of stairs leading higher up the mountain. After climbing for several minutes, they came upon a cave hewn into the side of the mountain. The place was not easily seen from the shrine.

It was very dark inside. Taking a torch from the wall, the priest lit it with a small Katon jutsu. The inside cavern was immense. Even in the flickering torchlight it was impossible to see the entire cave. The curved roof of the grotto was far above their heads where the light barely reached. Several paces in front of them the ground opened into a gaping abyss. There was a large building a hundred meters away from the entrance to the grotto and across a rickety wooden bridge.

The feeble light of the torch threw light across the cavern to bathe the front of the building in light. It was a large building with rice paper sliding doors. The doors were decorated, but it was impossible to determine the motif from that distance. The roof was by far the most impressive aspect of the building. The curved eaves extended out beyond the walls of the building gracefully. It was difficult to see in the darkness, but the walls seemed to be painted a bright crimson.

"We hold several of the most secret scrolls of the Fire Country," the priest explained. "Not many know of the Shrine's location, which provides us with some protection. The shrine is open to the public, but this cave is hidden away. The bridge here was built with a nightingale floor. If someone walks across it, we will know. There is also an auditory genjutsu woven into the nightingale floor that is cast by the chirping of the nails."

"That's ingenious," said the dog masked ninja. "Arriving at the building through other means would be difficult for anyone but a ninja. And a ninja would most likely try to walk across the floor rather than scale the walls of the cavern to arrive at the building."

"Our thoughts exactly."

The fox masked ninja scratched his head. "Er, so how do we get across then? I'm not too good with genjutsu."

"An excellent question," said the priest. "We have a secondary bridge that we can extend and retract so that we can get across to the building without getting caught in genjutsu. One of my brethren is over there and will extend the bridge to us."

A cable was shot across the gorge from the building. It whistled through the air and its sharp tip embedded itself in the wall to their left. A second cable shot across before the first had landed. After several minutes, a makeshift bridge of wooden planks had slithered across the cables.

"Follow me," said the priest.

* * *

The weeping cherry swayed lightly in the breeze, its hanging branches dancing to its own melody. The black granite of the monument had been polished only that morning after a new name had been scratched onto the surface to join its brethren.

_Shiranui Genma _

Itachi hated the monument. He wasn't sure how Kakashi could spend so much time staring at the names there.

He had been a child during the Third Great Ninja War when he learned about the stone. He could remember day after day, seeing name after name scratched into the reflective black sides of the monument. His best friend Shisui had been pale as a ghost as he watched his older brother's name added to the list.

_Uchiha Obito _

Still there was so much room for other names.

This was the first time that one of his ANBU team members had been added to the list. He hoped it would be the last. Shikamaru was still in the hospital; Tsunade had mixed an antidote a couple hours ago. He hadn't left Shikamaru's hospital room before the antidote was administered and he was sure his teammate would live. Shikamaru would be fine after another day of bed rest. But it was a chilling reminder. If they hadn't been so close to Konoha, there would have been two new names added to the monument.

When he became an ANBU captain, he promised himself that he would never see any of his team's names on the monument. He had broken that promise to himself.

Had he done wrong splitting up the team to fight those two S Rank criminals? Would Genma still be alive if they had faced Sasori and Orochimaru together? Why had he waited so long to use his Mangekyo Sharingan? Maybe he shouldn't have hesitated about using such a debilitating technique.

Was he the right person to be in ANBU? If someone else had led his team, would it have gone better? If someone else had led his team, would there be even more names on that hated monument?

He unclenched his fists at the sound of soft footfalls behind him. He hadn't even realized that he had been doing it. Looking down at his right palm, he saw crescent shaped indentations. He turned when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

Mikoto stood next to her oldest son, with a hand resting gently on his shoulder. "I was sorry to hear about Genma. He was a good man."

Itachi sighed. "Shizune was devastated. She asked me, 'How could you be so careless? How could you let him die? He was supposed to be safe on your team!'"

Mikoto closed her eyes. "ANBU is a dangerous job. All shinobi take their lives into their hands every time they go on a mission. Genma was safer than most on your team, but missions can go wrong."

"Do you miss it?"

"Taking missions?" Mikoto smiled and said, "Sometimes. But then I look at you and Sasuke and I'm happy." She crinkled her eyes in a smile and looked at him. He smiled warmly back. She continued. "Have you thought about the clan's demands at all? I'm always getting letters from daughters of nobles and feudal lords who want to be introduced to the great Itachi Uchiha. We've never spoken about arranged marriages. It could be beneficial to ally ourselves with one of these nobles, stability for the Leaf village and wealth for the Uchiha clan."

Itachi turned to look at the swaying branhes. "I don't think I could be happy in an arranged marriage." He turned his dark eyes on his mother. "Were you happy?" He couldn't see her expression, but from the awkward pause, he knew it wasn't a happy one. "I'm sorry, mother. It's not my place to-"

She lifted her head to give him a small smile. "No, I don't mind talking about it. I was a young girl when I was betrothed to your father. He was to be the next clan leader and my parents were so honored that I was chosen out of all the other kunoichi to be his bride. He was nearly fifteen years older than me, so we didn't interact much outside of clan events. We were married when I was eighteen."

Itachi nodded to show that he was listening.

"I was very unhappy in that first year of marriage but then you were born and I fell in love. It didn't matter that I was in a loveless marriage; you came into my life and you were so small and so new and so wonderful. And then a couple years later Sasuke came long. With my two boys, everything was perfect."

Mikoto paused for a moment before continuing on.

"Then when you got older, Fugaku tried to steal you away from me when he realized how exceptional you were. As time passed, Fugaku twisted into something ugly and I began to fear for our family and the safety of the village. Then around Sasuke's seventh birthday, your father died. To this day I still feel guilty, but when I received the news my first feelings were those of relief."

"Mother, I-"

"You don't need to tell me. I've known for a long time the truth of that night. I know you carry the burden of those lives with you, but you did the right thing."

Itachi glanced at his father's name on the stone. It was always uncomfortable to look at that name.

_Uchiha Fugaku _

Turning to his mother, Itachi asked, "Why didn't you say something earlier?"

"I know that you've been trying to keep it from Sasuke, so I didn't want to get in the way of that. Sasuke was so young when Fugaku died that he still looks at him through rose colored glasses. I don't want to taint his memory like that, even if he wasn't a nice man."

"Well that was a ringing endorsement for arranged marriages," Itachi said smiling wryly. "All the same, I think I'll take a look at some of those letter's you've been receiving after all."

Mikoto chuckled. "Convinced you, did I?"

"You might want to stay away from the field of motivational speeches."

"I'll leave that to your brother's friend Naruto. He's so much like my old friend Kushina it's almost frightening sometimes, believe it."

"Now you're starting to frighten me."

* * *

The darkness in the hidden building was almost oppressive. The priest had used his torch to light several of the wall scones in the scroll room, but the feeble light did little to extinguish the darkness.

After a minute of debate, the ANBU team had decided to remove their masks as they went through the scrolls in the room. It was difficult enough to read the titles on the scrolls without their masks on. With the porcelain visages of animals on their faces, it was near impossible.

The mission dossier had a list of scrolls that the team was to return with them to Konoha. The four ANBU members had storage scrolls in which they were placing the scrolls. Their captain, Hatake Kakashi, crossed off the documents as they discovered them.

Kakashi crossed off another scroll as Naruto sealed it into a seal muttering, "Jeez, the Third sure had a lot of scrolls."

Yamato looked over at them from a wall of musty scrolls and said, "Well he wasn't called the professor for nothing."

"Any luck finding those Uzumaki fūinjutsu scrolls, Yamato?"

The brown haired shinobi sighed and ran a hand through his brown hair. "Not yet. I thought they would be with some of the other 'U' scrolls, but I haven't had any luck so far."

"Hm," pondered Kakashi. "I wonder if they might be with the 'F' scrolls for fūinjutsu."

"That would be my next guess," Yamato agreed.

Sasuke wandered over to help Yamato work his way through the 'U' scrolls as Naruto said, "I'd love to get my hands on those Uzumaki scrolls. Maybe Pervy Sage can help teach me some of them."

"Somehow I can't imagine you having much talent for fūinjutsu, dobe," said Sasuke. "It seems a bit too intellectual of a pursuit for an idiot like you."

"You suck, teme."

"Hey Sasuke, while you're over there, can you look for the Uchiha-Hyuga scroll?" asked Kakashi.

"Sure."

"Some of these scrolls look pretty interesting. Do you think it would be alright if I looked through some of those Uzumaki scrolls on the way back to the v-" Naruto ended his sentence in a terrified squeak as he caught a glance at the dark expression on Yamato's face.

"Naruto! You know that you're not supposed to read secret documents! That's shinobi rule number twenty-seven!" said Yamato.

Sasuke chuckled. "I'm surprised that you believe that Naruto could remember a list of twenty-seven rules."

"I believe it's actually rule number thirty-five," Kakashi corrected.

Yamato looked at Kakashi with annoyance. "No, Kakashi-senpai, I'm pretty sure it's shinobi rule number twenty-seven."

Kakashi shook his head with a slight chuckle. "I'm pretty sure that shinobi rule number twenty-seven is 'secret techniques should remain a secret.'"

Naruto folded his hands behind his head and said proudly, "Well I decided long ago not to follow anyone else's shinobi rules. I'm going to be a ninja in my own way and never give up on what I think is right and just."

"That's just because you have no hope of remembering a list of rules, Naruto," teased Sasuke. Naruto looked affronted. "Oh, I found the Uchiha-Hyuga scroll," said Sasuke, sealing it into his scroll.

* * *

It had been a crazy day, mentally and physically exhausting. After being unsuccessful in his search for Hyuga Hinata at the hospital for a checkup on his Mangekyō Sharingan, Itachi went looking for his friend Shisui to tell him about his strange encounter with Orochimaru. However, Shisui couldn't be found either. Shisui spent a lot more time training his students than Kakashi seemed to.

It was a peaceful summer night. It seemed that so much had changed for him in the past week. He hadn't really had a chance yet to think about everything that happened. It was a beautiful night for introspection.

His entire life had been turned upside down because of the medical miracle that Hyuga Hinata had accomplished. For the past five years he had been slowly dying from a chronic illness. Tsunade had been working tirelessly to make a breakthrough, but she had told him that he would live for five to ten years at the most in his condition. When he had heard that, at first he had been furious. But he had finally come to accept it. It was his lot in life

Suffering and sorrow, after all, seemed to be natural for the Uchiha clan. The Sharingan could only be awakened from stress and the Mangekyō Sharingan could only be perfected at the heartbreak of losing one of the people closest to you. Itachi had awakened both of these powers. And on top of that he was the head of the Uchiha clan. It was his responsibility to think of his clan and his home first and himself second.

It was a difficult secret to keep from his clan – the matter of his illness. He had wasted no time naming his brother as heir. Sasuke was more than capable and Itachi had expected that his brother would need to take over as clan head in a few short years.

But Hyuga Hinata had given him something that he never thought he could have – a future. It wasn't inevitable that he'd die young.

The matters of succession were less certain now. All of Itachi's actions up to this point were to prepare for his own death. However, now he could think long term again. What direction did he want to lead his clan? The Uchiha were a proud and warlike people. Could he change the Uchiha? Erase their Curse of Hatred?

The demands Kagami and the elders had set for him also needed to be considered. He wasn't ready to be a sensei to anyone. Konoha was in too much danger for him to retire now. He wasn't sure how long he could put his clan off when it came to providing a second heir for the clan. If his family wanted to hold onto their influence, the second heir would have to be either his son or Sasuke's. This was not a matter to be rushed into lightly. Hyuga Hinata's face kept flashing across his mind. He would like to get to know her better. But he couldn't ask her to give up her position for him. Sure something had sparked at their first meeting, but he hardly knew her at all. And he promised his mother that he would look at those letters...

Finally he arrived at the spot in the forest that he had been looking for. It was a forgotten paradise not far from Kohona where a waterfall fell headlong from a pile of rocks into a secret pool with water so pure one could see to the smooth stones at the bottom. He had discovered it several years ago and it remained a secret refuge for him to think and practice his water jutsu.

So naturally he was shocked to find another presence at the pool.

Taking the rocks one at a time, he leapt down to the base of the pool to better observe the newcomer. He could only make out the woman's silhouette in the darkness. Her long hair fell midway down her back and twirled around her as she moved. She was petite, but limber and graceful as she practiced her jutsu. Her movements on top of the water almost looked like a carefully choreographed dance. For a fleeting moment, Itachi thought that she must be a water nymph.

But then the moon came out from behind a cloud to shine on her. It was the very girl he had been looking for at the hospital that afternoon: Hinata Hyuga! She had discarded the lavender-colored tunic he had seen her wearing several days ago at the hospital and was instead dressed only in a tight pair of knee length black pants and an equally tight tank top that left her stomach bare. Almost in a daze, he walked out on the water to her.

She started when she saw him. "Uchiha-san?"

Smiling he replied, "Please call me Itachi."

"Itachi," she whispered. Confused at seeing him here, she asked, "How did you know that I was here?"

Staring at her intently, he replied simply, "I didn't. I like to come here too. I didn't realize that you had discovered this place as well."

They considered each other in silence. Realizing that Itachi had no intention on breaking the silence, Hinata stuttered, "I…I haven't come here for a long time. Not since I started working at the hospital."

He nodded silently, still studying her intently.

Feeling uncomfortable under his dark penetrating gaze, she spoke again. "That is precisely the problem you see. My younger sister was telling me about a new jutsu that her jounin sensei had taught her while they were on a mission. She asked me if I could teach her a new jutsu that she could use to impress her sensei." Looking down at her hands, Hinata continued softly. "When she asked me, I realized that I haven't been keeping up with my training at all. I haven't learned any new jutsu in more than a year. I had been working on one before I started working full time at the hospital but I never perfected it."

"And that's why you're here tonight," he finally spoke.

She looked up at him. "Yes. Why are you?"

He quirked a half-smile. "Nothing so interesting. I like coming out here to think."

Hinata lowered her eyes, "I'm sorry to be interfering with your introspection. I can leave if you'd like me to."

He laughed. "It's no trouble." He gave her a beautiful smile, utterly transforming his stern face. She felt a warm feeling blossom in her chest. "Then why don't I help you with that technique that you're trying to master?"

"Really?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"A water senbon technique."

"So you have a water affinity like your cousin Neji," Itachi nodded. "Is that common in the Hyuga clan?"

"Yes. Though not as common as having a fire affinity is in the Uchiha clan."

"I'm familiar with that jutsu. Why don't you show me how much you've developed it thus far."

"Al…Alright," she stuttered.

Rapidly forming the hand signs, she created thousands of senbon from the water at their feet. She hurled them at a tree several hundred feet away. Every single leaf on the tree was ripped away from its branches, with senbon piercing it in the center.

Itachi peered at her curiously, his blood red eyes analyzing her technique carefully. "I don't know why you think your jutsu needs work. It looks flawless to me. I don't think I could have hit all of those leaves square at the same time with that many needles. Do you use this in conjunction with your gentle fist technique?"

Hinata nodded. "Yes, I use my Byakugan to help aim the senbon at a person's chakra points. I had been using chakra needles, but I wanted to utilize my water nature. By taking advantage of a nearby water source, I could make the same amount of senbon and use a fraction of the chakra."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea. You have very precise chakra control, so water or chakra senbon are an ideal weapon for you. I did notice that you used a bit more chakra than necessary for the technique. Is that what you're trying to perfect?"

"Yes," said Hinata. "Now, I'm using roughly the same amount of chakra for both techniques. And I have to use even more when there is not as much water available."

"I see. So the usefulness of the technique as it is now is basically null and void because you are not saving any chakra with it."

"Exactly."

"This technique is very advanced because it utilizes both shape and nature transformation at the same time. You're very adept with shape transformation; it's the nature transformation aspect of the technique that needs work. Thus what you need to work on is not the shaping of the water chakra into senbon but the gathering of the water."

Hinata nodded in understanding. "Alright." She began forming hand signs again.

"Here," said Itachi. "I know the technique too. Why don't you watch me with your Byakugan. You should be able to see me mold chakra, right?"

"Yes," Hinata said. "Byakugan."

He performed the hand signs so fast that she could hardly track their movement. Though for her benefit he gathered and shaped the chakra very slowly. She watched as he released a certain amount of his own chakra imbued with his water nature before attracting water from the lake. After he had gathered a sufficient amount of water, he began to change the shape of the water drops in the air to sharpen them into senbon.

He flung them at the trunk of the tree. At his nod, she performed the hand signs again. This time, she focused more on gathering the water than shaping it. She performed the technique much slower the second time, but she used much less chakra.

"That was very good. You used maybe half or a third of the chakra compared to your first iteration. Practice will improve your speed."

Elated at her success, she leapt into Itachi's arms. Looking up at him with smiling eyes, she said, "Thank you, Itachi. Thank you so much!"

He smiled back at her gently. Putting a hand to her cheek, he said, "I stopped by the hospital this afternoon to see you, but you'd already left."

"I'm sorry I missed you. Is something wrong?" She stepped away from him. "You didn't….you didn't use your Mangekyō Sharingan again, did you?"

"Well you see…"

Hinata put her hands on her hips. Poking him in the chest, she scolded, "You're only supposed to use it when you have absolutely no other choice. What if I can't repair the damage?"

"I'm sorry, but I really had no other choice. If it's not too much trouble…" Itachi grinned winningly.

"Alright," sighed Hinata. "Just stay still and I'll take a look. Has your vision deteriorated?"

"Not too much."

She walked up to him and put a light hand on either side of his face, pulling it down closer to her eye level. "I have to get quite close to see well enough. I apologize if I'm making you uncomfortable," she whispered.

"I don't mind," Itachi whispered back. His warm breath ghosted over her parted lips. "Do whatever you need to."

"Byakugan!" She could see the chakra swirling around near his eyes. Luckily it seemed that no chakra clots had formed after he had used his Mangekyo Sharingan technique.

She stood right up against him. Her breasts pressed against his chest as she breathed calmly in out, her exhalations lightly tickling his cheek. It was too tempting. He rested his hands lightly on her hips to help balance her. He concentrated on the chakra he channeled to the bottoms of his feet to keep him balanced above the undulating water of the lake, anything to take his mind off how closely their bodies were intertwined.

"I'm finished," she whispered, not making any attempt to move from their position. Looking up at him through dark eyelashes, she licked her parted lips, not really sure what she wanted. "Itachi…"

Luckily he knew what he wanted. He leaned in and captured her lips with his own. He pulled her body even closer to his if that was humanly possible. She could feel one of his hands slide under her tank top and across the bare skin of her back. His cool touch was electrifying.

She didn't know where to put her hands. She had lowered them from his face to clutch desperately at the fabric of his shirt. When he slid a hand across the flat plane of her stomach and higher towards her breasts, she let out a soft moan.

Itachi took that opportunity to deepen the kiss as he slid his tongue into her sweet mouth and devoured her. Sliding her hands up, she tugged off the cord pulling his hair into a low ponytail and buried her hands in his dark hair.

He smoothed a hand across her cheek and kissed the side of her mouth. He kissed his way to her earlobe where he whispered hotly, "Kami, you're so beautiful, Hinata. I've wanted to do this from the moment I met you."

"Itachi," she gasped out. "Don't stop."

He kissed his way down the column of her throat and she threw her head back in pleasure. Tangling his hands in his midnight dark hair, he marveled at its softness.

She was drowning in him. All of her senses were overcome with his closeness. All that mattered was the press of him against her. The feel of him in her arms and the soft moans he made when she kissed him. Nothing else mattered, not the issues with her father and the clan…

She pulled back from Itachi in shock. The clan! What was she thinking, giving into her desires like this? She must have looked like a mess, her lips swollen, hair all mussed up and her eyes slightly glazed over from pleasure.

"Itachi," Hinata whispered breathlessly.

Itachi's warm hands were gripping her tightly. Cupping his face in her hands, she looked up at him. His eyes still smoldered with passion. Kami, if he didn't stop staring at her like that, she would lose her nerve. "Itachi," she said again with more conviction. "We shouldn't be doing this. It isn't right."

He gazed at her with a hurt look on his face. "I'm sorry, Hinata, I hope you don't think that I took advantage of…"

Her face was burning as she said, "You didn't take advantage of me. I…I wanted it just as much as you did."

Itachi blinked in surprise. "I don't understand. What's wrong?"

Hinata took a step back and wrapped her arms around herself defensively. If he touched her again, she wouldn't be able to stop herself. She looked up at him, her eyes shining. "What I'm trying to say is that I shouldn't be kissing you at all, Itachi. My father would be furious. I need to consider my responsibilities as the heiress of the Hyuga clan."

"I'm sorry, Hinata, for compromising you like this. As the head of the Uchiha clan, I understand the importance of clan politics."

"You have no reason to be sorry," Hinata whispered sincerely. "Goodnight Itachi."

He watched her slip away into the night.

* * *

**A/N: Please Review!**


	6. Chapter Five - Secrets of the Past

**A/N: A special thank you to all my lovely reviewers: risen truth ruthless lies, NaviTheGoddess, Lecs, AN1M3STAR, Jao Jao and Nova5621.**

**Lecs, you'll see in this chapter what the contents of that scroll mentioned in the previous chapter are. ;-) I've also been thinking about the question you brought up in your review of the previous chapter. Will the story end as ItaHina or SasuHina? I've charted out the storyline and I have it ending as ItaHina. If everyone really wants it to be a SasuHina, I'm willing to reconsider. I'm still early along in this story, but I've been planning a short sequel that might have a Sasu- someone pairing it in. I'm not sure if anyone has any preference for Sasuke pairings. I'm not a fan of Sakura, so I won't make it SasuSaku. I'm leaving towards either Sasuke-Temari or Sasuke-Hana. If I switched the pairings around, I could make this story the SasuHina and the other one the Itachi-Temari or Itachi-Hana one. Does anyone have any strong opinions on the matter?  
**

**NavitheGoddess, I'm glad that you enjoyed my little Icha Icha Uchicha pun! I was giggling to myself while writing it. :-)**

**I'm still looking for a beta, so if anyone's interested, please let me know.  
**

******I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

**Secrets of the Past**

**a.k.a "He's knocking on the door of the truth."**

* * *

One couldn't tell from the mask covering his face, but the fox masked ANBU was grinning like mad as he and his three teammates hurried back to the Hidden Leaf village after their trip to the Fire Shrine. He stretched his arms over his head and remarked to his two companions, "Dunno why the Pervy Sage made this an ANBU mission. We haven't bumped into an ounce of trouble."

The panther masked ANBU member sighed heavily. "Try not to be any more of an idiot than is strictly necessary, _Fox_," he snapped with unnecessary emphasis on the codename.

"There's no need to call me names," the fox masked ANBU said petulantly.

"It's your codename, dobe," was the reply.

"Let's play nice, children," the dog masked ANBU drawled. Then he remarked to himself, "Honestly what did I do to deserve being put with you two?"

"Just try not to let your guard down, Fox. Our mission's really just starting," the beaver masked ANBU remarked seriously. If he didn't need to wear his mask, he could have cowed the fox masked ninja with just a look.

"You can count of me, Beaver. Believe it!"

The panther, beaver and beaver masked ninjas groaned in unison.

The fox masked nin paused in his stride and quirked his head to the left. "Foxes are known for their great sense of smell and amazing intellect."

The dog masked nin turned his head slightly in the direction that his partner had indicated, completely on his guard. He also sensed the presence lurking in the trees nearby. The panther masked member realized in a split second what was going on as well and replied with a sneer, "Foxes aren't known for that, dobe."

The fox masked nin was about to retort when the two presences lurking the trees to their left finally made themselves known. Two ninjas in the distinctive Akatsuki cloaks appeared before them. One of the men wore a dark mask with a white hood. The sclera of his poisonous green eyes were bloody. The panther masked nin didn't recognize the symbol on his slashed hitai-ate. It appeared to be a downwards arrow. His companion was a slight young man with pale skin and icy blue eyes and hair. The symbol on the younger man's slashed hitai-ate was also unfamiliar. It was five circles arrayed in a cross; it reminded him a bit of the symbol from Frost Country.

"You can stop that charade, ANBU," said the older Akatsuki member. "I know you were just trying to distract us so you could prepare yourselves for battle. It won't work."

"Who says that it hasn't?" the dog masked nin countered. "Raikiri!"

With the discordant shrieks of a thousand birds, the ball of lightening in the ninja's hand pierced right through his opponent's heart.

"You'll have to do better than that," the older man sneered. "Why don't you just give me fox and save all of us some trouble."

* * *

Naruto was pretty sure that Kakashi-sensei had nailed the Akatsuki guy through the heart with his Raikiri. But he knew better than anyone that the Akatsuki had some pretty crazy ninja skills, so he was not remotely surprised when the older of the two Akatsuki members brushed off the dog masked ninja and threw off his red cloud embellished cloak. Four masks on his back erupted from his body. The man was like… some sort of patchwork monster. His skin looked as if it'd been stitched together haphazardly by a mad quilt maker. It was grotesque. The four masks formed crazy looking rag dolls.

The fox-masked nin scratched his head in confusion. "Are you a missing nin from the land of demented quilt makers or something?"

Kakazu snorted in disgust. "Just come along quietly, nine tails, and your companions don't have to die."

"Not on your life," said Naruto unsheathing his katana. His companions did the same.

Sasuke watched carefully as the blue masked doll thing collapsed into a gelatinous black puddle and died. That particular mask had erupted from the place on the ninja's body where a person's heart was usually located. It was the spot where Kakashi's Raikiri had pierced the man's body.

"Well that was anti-climactic, Kakazu. After all that, one of those monsters just fell down dead? Lord Pein is always going on about how strong you are. I'm yet to be impressed," sneered his companion.

"Why don't you focus on your battle, Shinku, and leave off criticizing things that you don't understand."

The battle erupted in a flurry of taijutsu. Kakazu danced across the wooded clearing dodging the kicks and punches aimed at him from the dog and beaver masked nins. Two of the creepy ragdoll looking things chased after then, blowing fireballs and bolts of lightning at the two ANBU.

The younger Akatsuki member went after the panther and fox masked ninjas.

"Hyōton: Tsubame Fubuki!" he called out after making several quick hand signs.

A storm of small birds erupted from the air around the panther and fox masked nins and then dived in for an aerial assault. Noticing from the other ninja's hand signs that it was an Ice Style Combination Jutsu, Sasuke quickly formed the handsigns for the Fireball Jutsu.

"Hyōton: Tsubame Fubuki!" he called, breathing out the fire into a continuous flame rather than a ball. The small sparrows, which were looking more like senbon than birds, melted to the ground.

"Look out, panther," the fox masked nin called. "One of those creepy ragdoll things is coming after us. It looks ready to cast a wind style jutsu. I'm going to try and knock it away with my own wind jutsu."

Sasuke cursed as he summersaulted out of the way to avoid the blast of air just as the pale haired Akatsuki member went at him with his sword. Was that fool going to use his Rasen Shuriken jutsu? That was much too dangerous for close quarters. Not only would it eat up much of Naruto's chakra reserves, but it would probably filet Sasuke into little bits. Marvelous.

"You're not going to use _that_ jutsu, are you?" the panther masked nin called to his partner.

"My super awesome signature jutsu?" asked the fox masked nin. "I wish. It's a bit too risky for the present circumstance."

Taking advantage of the panther masked nin's distraction with ragdoll monster, the pale haired man weaved another group of signs. "Hyōton: Haryū Mōko!" he called out.

A strange looking creature began forming out of the air and solidifying into ice. With a roar, the Ice Tiger charged the panther masked nin. At the same time, the wand ragdoll monster closed in on Sasuke, blowing a huge blast of wind at the Konoha nin. The panther masked ninja gritted his teeth in annoyance. What on earth was Naruto doing? Oh right, nothing!

With his Sharingan predicting the trajectory of the two attacks, the Konoha nin spun narrowly out of the way to avoid both of the attacks. The ragdoll monster's jutsu blew the missing nin's Ice Tiger into a million pieces. All that was left of the ice tiger was a pile of what looked like shattered glass.

"I've got the timing now, panther!" called his partner. "Fūton: Shinkūha!"

The fox masked nin let out a long breath of chakra imbued air which cut the wind monster clean in half. It also melted to the ground in a pile of black goo.

"Kakazu, I wish you wouldn't have your little monsters interfere with my battles, you just cost me an Ice Tiger. I hope you're happy."

The older Akatsuki member gritted in teeth in annoyance. He kicked the beaver nin savagely into a tree before landing a blow on the dog masked nin. He turned to his partner. "What have I told you about running your mouth, Shinku?"

* * *

The early rays of light streamed in through his hospital window. His east facing room must have been on the fifth or six floor of the hospital - high enough up that the morning rays weren't obstructed by other buildings.

He blinked a couple of times, trying to clear his muddled head. His memory was a jumble of flashes: a crane masked ANBU hanging limp from the strings of the puppet master jutsu, the agonizing pain of the poison polluting his blood, Shizune and Tsunade extracting the poison from his body. Shizune's tears had dripped on his face as she tried to hold down his struggling form.

He had been sedated and at some later point for Tsunade to administer the antidote. He would live, it seemed. His head felt like it was full of cobwebs, the sedatives making his limber mind into thick molasses. His mouth felt like it was full of cotton balls.

But his right hand felt warm. He glanced to his right side to find the blonde head of his female teammate resting on the bed by his right side. Her glorious blonde hair was spread across the edge of his bed, turning to spun gold in the morning light. Her bowed head rested in the crook of her right elbow while her left arm lay along the side of the bed lightly holding his right hand in her left. Kami, was she beautiful. Had she been there by his side all night?

"Troublesome," he muttered fondly to himself.

He must have been staring at her for a while because he didn't immediately turn to acknowledge the slight shuffle of footsteps in his doorway. Peering into the doorway, he gave his oldest friend a small smile. He tried to ignore is friend's knowing smirk.

"Choji."

The Akimichi dropped the small bag he had been carrying onto the chair next to the girl. Skirting Shikamaru's bed on his way across the room, Choji lingered by the large windows taking up most of the left wall of the room. Looking outside, Choji asked, "It's a beautiful morning. Would you mind if I opened the window?"

Shikamaru stretched and let out a loud yawn. "Nah, go for it."

Grinning, Choji lifted up the glass of the middle window. Turning back to his friend, he remarked, "I'm surprised to see you awake so early in the day. The nurses thought you'd wake up this morning, but I was sure you'd use this as an excuse to sleep past noon."

Shikamaru shrugged nonchalantly. "The sun woke me up."

Walking over to the right side of the room, Choji picked up the empty chair next to Ino and carried it over to the left side of the bed. He maneuvered with care so that the bag resting on top of the chair didn't fall onto the ground. "Don't want to wake sleeping beauty over there," Choji explained as he sat down.

Shikamaru snorted in amusement, glancing at Ino's sleeping head and asked, "How long have I been out of it?"

Picking up the bag and plopping down in chair, Choji pulled out a small paper container. As he opened the small box, he said, "Well, you came in yesterday around lunchtime and now you're just waking up. So I guess you've been out of it for almost a whole day. You had us worried." He pulled out two donuts from the box and handed one to Shikamaru. "Hospital food is rubbish."

"Awesome, thanks," Shikamaru murmured as he accepted it with his left hand. "Was it that serious?" Shikamaru wondered. "I don't remember much."

"It was a very tricky poison, apparently. Luckily Lady Tsunade was able to concoct an antidote pretty quickly for you. Ino was worried about it, but she knows more about medical ninjutsu than I do. We both know that she likes to worry about us."

Shikamaru snorted and looked at her sleeping blonde head. "It's a full time job with us."

"She refused to leave your side before you woke up. One of the nurses tried to shoo her out after visiting hours ended, but Ino kicked up such a fuss that the nurse gave up."

"Troublesome," muttered Shikamaru. "She's scary when she gets like that."

Choji chuckled and started on a second donut. "Wouldn't have her any other way."

"Do you know how the rest of my team is doing? I remember some things, but it's a bit blurry. Stupid meds."

Choji looked uncomfortable for a beat before replying, "Uchiha Itachi, stopped by for a bit while you were unconscious. He and Neji are doing fine. Genma…Genma's dead."

Shikamaru's face fell and he clutched his fist unconsciously. "I remembered something like that, but I hoped it was a delusion from the poison."

Ino let out a little noise and stirred. Shikamaru realized with a jolt that he had clenched the hand that Ino was holding.

Choji continued, "Yeah, Itachi seemed pretty beat up about it."

"I remember Shizune's tears dripping on my face as she held my shoulders while Tsunade extracted some of the poison," Shikamaru muttered, looking down at the blonde girl as she turned her head to him.

"They were supposed to be married in October," Ino whispered, her voice still rough with sleep.

"I should've been better. Itachi shouldn't always have to do everything himself. He offered the strategy and we went with it. It was a different strategy than I might have used, but it was the better…"

Ino suddenly sat back and stretched, arching her back and stretching out her arms. Shikamaru was distracted for a moment by the sight. She leaned back in her chair and propped up her feet on the bed, crossed at the ankles. Putting her long hair back into a ponytail, she said, "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Shika. I'm sure that you did your best. Itachi's a formidable tactician, but you shouldn't be afraid to discuss strategies with him in the field. He's the captain and he ultimately makes the call, but you shouldn't always defer to him."

"You have no idea what you're taking about, Ino," Shikamaru said with a frown. "I am nowhere near Itachi's level. It would be disrespectful to contradict his strategy and offer my own."

Ino frowned back. "You may not be at Itachi's level with your jutsu, but you're just as good tactically as he is, maybe even better. Why would Jiraiya have put you on that squad but to supplement Itachi's strategies? You're part of ANBU Team Alpha, Jiraiya's go to ANBU team. Don't sell yourself short. You're a great shinobi."

"I'm a fool and now I'm in the hospital. I was so intimidated taking on an S-class Akatsuki member with Genma and Neji that Genma died. All the while Itachi was fighting Orochimaru by himself."

"Well three of you are still alive after facing two S-class Akatsuki members. I would chalk that up on the success column," Ino countered.

"It doesn't feel like a success. If it was, Genma would still be alive."

Ino sighed. Her teammate was so stubborn. "If any other team had faced those two Akatsuki members, I'm sure that all of the members would be dead or worse."

"What's worse than being dead?" wondered Choji.

"Captured," replied Ino.

"ANBU Team Beta would have a better result than my team did," Shikamaru countered.

"Kakashi-sensei's team?" Ino wondered. "If any other team might have survived against the Akatsuki it would have been them. But if they failed, the results would have been more disastrous than death."

"Genma's death just feels so wrong. If any of us should have died, it should have been me. He deserved to live more than…"

"Don't you dare say that," Ino growled. "You can't weigh one life against another like that. You do deserve to live, don't you ever think differently."

Shikamaru stared at the wall in silence.

"Are you listening to me, Shika?"

Her query was met with silence. Choji glanced across at her worriedly; Shikamaru continued to stare at the wall.

Ino let out an angry breath before standing and sweeping out of the room. She turned in the doorway. "We're not done talking about this, Shika. I'm sorry for leaving just as you got here, Choji, but that idiot is being so difficult. I can't sit here and listen to him talk about himself like that."

* * *

"Running my mouth!" Shinku growled. "I'll run my mouth as much as I like, you creepy fossil. Just keep your monsters out of my fight. The ninetails might be your mark, but I'm going to capture him for Lord Pein! You've already hit your quota when you got the seven tails. I'm going to prove myself to those Rain shinobi by capturing the strongest of the tailed beasts. I'm Mizore Shiku of the Crimson Sleet! Bane of the Village Hidden in the Frost."

Kakazu looked furious. "You talk too much," he said. Black cords sprung out from the edges of the patched skin on the missing nin's body. They flew through the air and wrapped around his partner's throat, arms and legs.

"W-what are you doing?" asked Shinku.

The ANBU team watched spellbound as a second group of cords whipped through the air. They stopped in front of his chest. "Leader's going to be upset, but I don't care. I've never liked you."

"You can't! Kakazu!" the young man hollered in fright before the group of cords in front of him ripped his still beating heart out of his body.

"Whoa!" yelled the fox masked ninja. "That man was your teammate!"

Kakazu released his Akatsuki partner's dead body. It fell to the ground in a bloody heap. He brought the still beating heart back to his body and let the black cords pull it into his body. The ANBU team shivered in disgust. He glanced back at the ragdoll monster in a pool by Naruto's feet. "What a waste. Wind affinities are so rare," was all Kakazu said in reply.

* * *

Hinata looked up from her green tea as Ino sat down with a plate of Namagashi for them to share. She flipped a long blonde bang out of her face and said, "So how are things going with you? I'm glad that we got to get together for a chat before I have to go on a mission again. This ANBU stuff is more troublesome than I would have expected."

Hinata chuckled. "If it's ANBU, shouldn't you be keeping it quiet?"

Ino waved a hand at Hinata. "Probably. But I don't see why we have to be so secret about it. It's true that people aren't supposed to know that we're a part of it, but we all have tattoos for Kami's sake! It's not that difficult to find out who's in it and who's not."

"I guess you're right."

"And besides, you're a Tokubetsu Jonin, so you're allowed to know that I'm in ANBU. You have the correct clearance level."

"You have a point. So did you get to visit Shikamaru in the hospital yesterday?"

"Yes. I just left this morning."

"Tsunade-sama administered the antidote yesterday, right?"

"Yeah. She put it in his IV last night. I left Shikamaru with Choji this morning. Shika already started picking a fight with me after he woke up. What am I going to do with that guy? He makes it so difficult sometimes."

"What as the fight about?"

"ANBU stuff. I don't really want to talk about it. I'm still angry about it."

"If you need someone to talk to, you know I'm always here," Hinata said.

"Thanks, Hinata. Oh, that reminds me. When I was sitting with Shikamaru, his ANBU captain came to visit. He caught me by the vending machines later and was asking about you and your shift at the hospital. I didn't know that you knew Uchiha Itachi. Though I guess you probably met him through Sasuke. What did you think of Itachi?"

"Itachi is…really wonderful."

"Shikamaru practically worships the ground he walks on. It's kinda funny actually. When we were genin on the same team, I never thought that I would meet anyone with such a strategic mind as genius as Shikamaru's. He would literally run mental circles around me when he thought it was worth the effort. But Shikamaru's found an equal in Itachi. You should see their shoji matches. It's pretty intense. Well… actually the matches themselves are super boring; it's just the fact there's never really a clear winner that's so interesting. And Itachi pushes Shikamaru to be a better ninja. Shika's learned tons of new strategies and his ninjutsu, taijutsu and genjutsu have really improved. Sure he complains that it's troublesome, but he's improved in leaps and bounds. Now, it only Shikamaru would stop holding the man on such a pedestal."

"Itachi must be a good teacher," Hinata replied softly.

"Yeah. I bet half of the ninjas in Konoha and probably in every other ninja village would kill for a chance to learn from him. I wouldn't mind having a _private_ session with him myself."

Hinata blushed again.

Ino peered at her closely, a wicked smile spreading across her face. "So what is it about Itachi that has you blushing so much, Hina?"

"Er," Hinata stuttered. "It's that…well…um…we sort of made out yesterday…"

"Fuck yeah, girl!" Ino squealed. "You have to tell me everything! So are you two, like, dating now? Oh my god! You have to make me your maid of honor."

Hinata sputtered. "It's not like that! Besides, it's infinitely more complicated with all the clan stuff."

Ino's face fell. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Yeah, all that heiress stuff blows. I've got all these demands from my clan too and we're really small. I can't imagine all the pressure that the Hyuga clan is putting on you."

"Yeah," Hinata sighed.

"Are they still on your case about the hospital?"

"Yep. My father was telling me yesterday that the elders are going to make me battle with Hanabi to prove my worth as the next head of the Hyuga clan. Our battle is scheduled in December around my eighteenth birthday."

"This is news to me!" Ino replied in shock. "So if you are defeated, you have to join the Branch house?"

"My father was mysteriously enigmatic about that. He said that there might be other ways that I can be of use to the clan."

"Hm, I don't like the sound of that. Sounds like they want to sell you off to someone or something." Ino was momentarily robbed of speech. "But….but they wouldn't….they couldn't….right?"

Hinata shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea."

"So have you started to prepare for the battle?"

"Kind of…not really."

"Hinata, you have to start training for this! Have you thought about asking Sasuke to train with you? And maybe Neji too?"

"Yes, I already spoke to Sasuke about it. I haven't had a chance to ask Neji yet. I hope it won't be a conflict of interest for him."

Ino nodded. "Your old genin teammates are on my ANBU squad and we train together when we're not on missions. I'm sure that Kiba and Shino wouldn't mind you if you train with us."

"Thanks. I'll probably take you up on the offer," Hinata said.

"Just be careful not to burn yourself out. When I first joined ANBU, I was still helping out Anko and Ibiki at T&I in my free time and got really worn down. If you find yourself starting to burn out, you might want to work at the hospital part-time at least until all this is over. I'm sure Tsunade would be understanding about the situation."

"Yeah, I was thinking that I might have to do that. Unfortunately, I have a feeling I'd be playing right into the elders' hands. They want me to quit the hospital."

"That is pretty sneaky of them," Ino signed. "I also heard that the Hyuga clan is entertaining visitors. Izumo and Kotetsu had a pretty amusing story about their run in with the pair and my father said that he got an order from your father for an elaborate floral centerpiece yesterday. Does it have anything to do with your visitors?"

"You heard about the Kenkaji noblemen? Yes, their names are Hato Kaba and Okami. They are the family who provide us with the silks for our ceremonial robes."

"That's strange. Do these usually deliver their silks in person?"

"Never. This is the first time I've ever met them."

"Hm," mused Ino. "That is rather strange. I wonder what they're up to. So what did the clan have you doing yesterday?"

"Well, my father, Neji and the three elders and I had to have lunch with our visitors yesterday." Noting Ino's raised eyebrows, Hinata continued, "And yes, they are as obnoxious as Izumo and Kotetsu said. Neji told me afterwards that he really didn't like them either."

Ino giggled. "I hope they won't be hanging around too long then."

"Me too," Hinata muttered.

"So your father says that there are other ways for you to help that clan that don't involve being a part of the branch house. And then those two noblemen come all the way over to Konoha. That seems pretty suspicious."

"Yeah. I had to show the son, Okami, around the gardens yesterday and he tried to kiss me and give me a pendant. I think he's pushing for marriage. I'm not sure what I would do if the elders tried to sell me off in a marriage contract."

"Say no, of course," Ino answered immediately. "I almost feel sorry for this nobleman when he's theoretically competing with Itachi Uchiha for your affections. You and Itachi should just elope or something."

"I hardly know the man. But, Ino, this is serious. What do you think I should do if they start pushing an arranged marriage?"

"Well I'd start by saying no and see what happens. I would suggest going to the next meeting of the elders with your father. You'll have to do that eventually as the head of the clan, so it'll be good practice regardless. And speak up for yourself. Remember when I was telling you a year or so ago that my clan was trying to push me into an arranged marriage with Fu from the Foundation?"

Hinata nodded. "If I remember correctly, you went a meeting of the elders and kicked up a fuss."

"In a way, yes. I calmly explained to them that I couldn't marry Fu. My father and I had prepared for the confrontation in advance, so we had discussed what we believed their response would be to my argument. Then I practiced my speech on my old genin team. Choji was a sweetheart about it, giving me hugs and support. Shikamaru said it was troublesome, but was a great help. He naturally was able to think of every possible variation in the elder's response, several which my father and I hadn't even considered. So when the time came to have the elders' meeting, I was more than prepared. My well thought out argument impressed them so much that they got them off my back."

"You make it sound so easy," Hinata sighed.

"It wasn't easy. It was very difficult and stressful, but it was worth it in the end. Apparently part of the reason why the elders wanted to force my hand with this arranged marriage was because they thought I was soft and wouldn't be a strong leader for the clan. Basically they had decided that Fu would be a better leader, so they tried to get me to marry him to make it official. In confronting them about it, I forced them to look closer at me and they finally recognized that I could be a good leader for the clan. So in conclusion, it doesn't hurt to make your opinions known. This might just be a test that the Hyuga clan elders are conducting for you."

"You're probably right. But I lack your confidence... I don't know if I could do that," Hinata looked uncomfortable.

Ino winked at her. "I have the utmost faith in you, Hina. Talk to your dad and if you want to practice with me, I'd be more than happy to. I can even strong arm Shikamaru into helping out. It never hurts to give his brain a run around. And when all is said and done, if you want me to Shintenshin on in there and do the fussing for you, you only need to ask."

"That's…very kind of you."

"Don't mention it. And as a last resort if there's nothing we can do and they're pushing your hand, we could always run off to Kumo or something. Kumo loves bloodlines and Kumo ninjas are hot. Besides, the chunin exams are over there this year, so it wouldn't be too difficult."

"Ino, sometimes I don't know whether to be filled with joy or horror by the fact you're my best friend."

"I love you too, darling. Oh, speaking of best friends, Kiba was telling me that Naruto's planning a surprise party for Sasuke. We'll probably have you collect Sasuke and bring him to Naruto's apartment at a prearranged time."

"Sure," shrugged Hinata.

"Also, I wanted to ask you to keep an eye on me during the party, if you don't mind. I have a tendency to hook up with Shikamaru whenever Naruto throws a party. I don't' know what Naruto mixes in his drinks, but it's bad news."

"Okay, I'll see what I can do. Have you thought about wearing a chastity belt or something when you go to Naruto's parties?"

"Girl, you give the absolute worst advice!"

* * *

Clutching his arm against his shoulder, Sasuke grunted in pain as Naruto pulled out the spear that had pierced through the fleshy part of his shoulder. "Physical attacks won't work, Panther! He can harden his body with that Earth Style ninjutsu. Lightening style jutsus are our best bet against him!"

Holding a hand emanating green healing chakra at his shoulder, Sasuke closed up the wound as best he could. A trail of blood still dripped down the back of his ANBU vest. Kakazu jumped down between the two ANBU members, aiming for Naruto with his black threads.

The ragdoll with the lightening jutsu came among them again. Sasuke was able to dodge the first bolt, but the second bolt was point blank. To lessen the damage from the bolt, he conducted a chidori current through his body.

He heard a strange popping sound from behind him. Sasuke cursed. Of course the storage scroll opened up. It had met the two requirements, blood and chakra.

* * *

The beaver and dog masked nins were battling the fire style ragdoll. The Akatsuki member was focused on Sasuke and Naruto, but that didn't mean the older two ANBU were in the clear.

Taking advantage of the panther masked ANBU's distraction with his faulty sealing scroll, Kakazu put his hands together for a jutsu, calling out, "Katon: Zukokku!"

The fire style ragdoll's mask opened up and a large concentration of fire chakra was gathering itself together into a truly horrific attack. Yamato and Kakashi glanced at each other before gathering water chakra and hitting the ground with their palms calling out, "Suiton: Suijinheki!"

The tower water wall came up just as the fire jutsu was spun out towards the two ANBU. It seared the ground and devastated everything in its path.

"The water wall wasn't enough," gasped Yamato as he jumped back. "We'll never be able to get far enough away in time."

Kakashi channeled more chakra into his Sharingan to release the Mangekyo version. He murmured, "Kamui." The wall of flame dissolved into a void created by Kakashi's Mangekyo Sharingan.

Kakashi fell to his knees in exhaustion. "Damn, his partner mumbled to himself. Hold on, dog."

Facing the fire style ragdoll, the beaver masked nin called out, "Mokuton: Mokusatsu Shibari no Jutsu!" Several branches burst from his shoulder to bind the fire monster tightly. Forming signs with his other hand, he called out, "Suiton: Suigadan!"

Bullets of water hit the rag doll point blank, restrained as it was by the woodstyle jutsu. The fire style rag doll fell in a puddle at Yamato's feet.

* * *

"How did all your scrolls fall out, Panther?" asked the Fox masked nin.

"I'm not sure, dobe," growled the other ANBU. "Cover me while I seal them away again."

"I can't believe you messed up a simple sealing jutsu. Even I was able to manage that one."

"Just shut up and cover me," the panther masked ninja sighed.

"Will do," said the fox masked nin, bounding off.

Sasuke leaned down to pick up the first scroll. He groaned when he noticed his bloody handprint on it. Jiraiya was going to be upset.

"Lightening ragdoll coming at us at nine o'clock. Looks like it's readying for a jutsu - it's gathering a huge amount of chakra.

"Raiton: Gian!" yelled Kakazu from the other side of the wooded clearing.

"Fūton: Shinkūha!" Naruto yelled, trying to bat away the huge lightening style jutsu with a wind style cutting jutsu. Naruto was able to knock away more than half of it, but the reminder still barreled down on the pair of ANBU teammates. "It's no good, Sasuke. Incoming!"

Naruto jumped beside him. Sasuke summoned chakra to his hands and dropped the scroll on the floor. Kicking it behind him, he lifted up his hands casting his own lightening justsu. He was able to mitigate its effects with his own jutsu.

"Let's kill that annoying ragdoll," the fox masked ninja growled.

"Chidori Eisō!" Sasuke said, piercing the lightening creature with his chidori spear.

"Fūton: Shinkūha!" said Naruto, slicing the creature in half like he did to the wind style ragdoll.

Naruto dusted off his vest and looked where the beaver masked ANBU was crouching over the dog masked ANBU in the other corner of the clearing. "Everything alright, Beaver? What happened to the Akatsuki guy? Is Dog alright?"

Sasuke glanced at the scrolls still scattered around him. "Did he retreat?"

Yamato straightened up and faced the other two members of the team. "The Akatsuki retreated just after you destroyed his lightening monster. We had eliminated four of his monsters. He probably calculated his odds and decided it was better to have a tactical retreat. But we shouldn't let our guard down. Stay on your toes. Dog should be fine. He's just suffering from chakra exhaustion."

"Well that's good," said Naruto.

Yamato looked at them closer. "What's with all those scrolls? Did you release your storage scroll by accident, Fox?"

The fox masked ninja crossed his arms over his chest. "Why is it that when any one makes a mistake, they blame me!"

"Because it's usually your fault," drawled the panther masked him. He called over to his other teammate, "Beaver. Those are my scrolls. My storage scroll unsealed itself during the fight when it came in contact with my chakra and blood."

"That's unfortunate," said the beaver masked nin. "Fox, help Panther pick up the rest of those scrolls. It looks like one of the scrolls itself is unraveling. You'll want to seal that one back up, Panther."

"Jeez, Panther. You just can't do anything right today, can you?" teased the Fox masked nin.

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair. He realized a second too late that his hand was still slick with his blood, so his hair became a nasty bloodied matted mess. "I don't know what happened. My blood and chakra shouldn't have unsealed the Fire Shrine's scroll. I don't know what I did wrong."

Naruto chuckled before picking up the sealing scroll and rummaging around the clearing for the other scrolls. Sighing heavily, Sasuke picked up the one unraveling at his feet. There were two familiar clan symbols painted on the top of the scroll. "What on earth?"

* * *

Stepping out of his apartment building, Itachi was surprised to run almost immediately into his cousin Shisui and one of the older Uchiha's students. It was the boy with the spiky black hair. Come to think of it, the boy wore his in a style reminiscent of Sasuke's. Itachi wondered if it was intentional. Too bad he couldn't remember the kid's name.

"Hey, Shisui," Itachi said.

"Oh, hi there, 'tachi. You remember my student Kosho."

"Nice to see you again, kid," Itachi said to the genin. Kosho smirked. Yep, this kid reminded Itachi a lot of his younger brother.

"We were just going to do some training for the chunin exams," Shisui remarked.

"Taijutsu," said the boy.

Itachi quirked an eyebrow. "That must be why you're trying to hide that bag of popcorn behind your back, right, Shisui?"

Shisui smiled cheekily, "You don't miss a trick do, you, 'tachi. Though we actually are going to do some taijutsu training. It's a secret Uchiha clan training technique."

Itachi snorted. All the same, he fell into step with his friend and his friend's student. "So where are Rock Lee and Maito Gai training?"

"Are you sure that you haven't learned how to read minds?" Shisui teased.

"Still working on it," Itachi quipped dryly. "Maybe you're just too predictable, Shisui."

"Touche," Shisui laughed. "Would you like to join us, Itachi?"

"I can always use more taijutsu training." Itachi glanced at Shisui's student who was listening to the older men's exchange avidly. Glancing over at the boy, Itachi asked, "So where are the chunin exams this year?"

Kosho Uchiha tried to hide his excitement at speaking to the Uchiha Head with a cool façade. He said, "It's in the Village Hidden in the Clouds."

"Interesting."

Shisui handed the bag of popcorn to Kosho and said to his student, "Why don't you scout ahead for Lee and Gai. Find us a good hiding place where they won't see us. This is also an exercise in stealth. We don't actually want to get roped into their training session."

"Yeah," Itachi remarked. "Gai and Lee take their training very seriously. Hey, Shisui, do you remember that time…"

"When they caught us spying and we ended up running a thousand laps around Konoha with them? How could I not? I still have the blisters on my feet. I wish I had their kind of stamina."

"Don't we all," Itachi agreed.

Kosho watched the two older Uchihas with his blood red Sharingan. "But how will you find my hiding place?"

"Oh, we'll find your hiding place," his sensei reassured him. "You're good, kid, but not as good as us."

Kosho pouted before heading into the forest.

"Modest too," Itachi remarked.

Shisui glanced over at Itachi. "I've been meaning to talk with you about something, but I didn't want to ask in front of my student."

"No problem." Itachi shrugged.

"Kosho is Kagami's grandson and Masaru's son."

Itachi brushed his bangs back from his face. "I knew the boy looked familiar. Though I thought it was just because he was copying Sasuke's hairstyle."

"Yeah, it's a bit frightening that. Never thought one of my students would look up to your brother as a fashion icon. Kami, do you remember that skirt he used to wear a couple years back? It was after the Sound Village came to Konoha for the Chunin exams."

Itachi did remember. That was a particularly stressful time. Sasuke was taking the exams for the first time just as Itachi turned eighteen and became the Head of the Uchiha clan. An up and coming village had joined the chunin exams that year, the Sound Village. They were rumored to have some sort of connection to the Akatsuki, so the Konoha ANBU couldn't be too careful. With ninja from other villages coming to watch their genin's tournaments, an invasion could be quite easily arranged.

xxx

_Itachi hadn't been pleased when Kakashi said that he was planning to send his brother's team to the chunin exams. Itachi had cited the success rate of rookie genin cells to the Copy nin, who merely shrugged and pulled out his copy of Icha Icha Paradise._

_One of the Sannin, Jiraiya, was working with Naruto on his jutsu in preparation for the exam. It wouldn't do to have Konoha's jinchuriki vulnerable with all of these foreign ninja around and the Akatsuki becoming more daring. Kakashi was teaching Sasuke the chidori and Itachi helped him with his Sharingan in between ANBU missions._

_The genin from other villages usually arrived a couple days before the exam to get hotel rooms and have their jonin sensei sign up their teams. Sasuke had gotten into a spat with one of the teams from Suna, which had almost turned into an international incident. Of course Sasuke would pick a fight with the team made up of the Kazekage's three children._

_However, one group of these newcomers had an even stranger impact on Itachi's younger brother. For some reason Sasuke was really taken with the clothes worn by the genin of the Sound Village. Itachi didn't really see what was so cool about them. A blue cloth tied over the pants by a purple rope belt? Who thinks of these things? Shinoibi villages were usually some of the last places to see the fashion trends, but that particular one was just strange._

"_You're not going outside like that, are you?" asked Itachi as he ate some of the cinnamon buns he had found in the fridge that morning._

_Sasuke turned to look at his brother. He silently secured his sword behind his back in the purple rope belt._

"_But where do you keep your hip pouch and shuriken holster?" Itachi wondered. _

_Sasuke merely shrugged and walked out. Itachi rubbed a hand over his eyes. He would never get used to Sasuke's strange pre-teen antics. His mother wandered into the kitchen half a second after the front door closed. She held the shirt she had been folding against her chest. _

"_Where you practicing a genjutsu or something?" At his puzzled look, Mikoto put the blue shirt she was folding down on the table and sat down next to her son. She looked at him with an earnest expression. "I'm losing it, Itachi. I thought that I saw your brother leave just now in a blue skirt. I need to get my eyes checked. I know that I used the Sharingan a lot when I was an active kunoichi, but I didn't think it could cause hallucinations this many years later."_

_Itachi dropped his head down on the table. His mother's jokes weren't always funny. Sasuke had fully embraced the Sound Village clothing trends, much to Itachi's dismay._

"_Sas-" Sakura skidded to a stop when she caught a glance at his clothing. "Oh," she said. She looked at him curiously, not finding it in her heart to make fun of the clothes of the boy she was crushing on._

_Kakashi wandered up to his team members and stopped in his tracks when he eyed Sasuke. "What on earth is that?"_

"_I dunno," Sasuke replied. "I thought it looked cool."_

_Naruto ran up to the group clustered around the bridge to the Uchiha compound. "Sorry I'm late. Hey wait. Why are you wearing a skirt, Sasuke?" _

"_It's all the rage in the Sound Village."_

_Shisui and Itachi had both assigned to the ANBU team in charge of surveillance for the second portion of the exams in the Forest of Death. It had been quite a surprise when Mitarashi Anko, a member of another surveillance team, found the bodies of one of the Grass Village teams discarded in the bushes near the test._

_Someone was trying to infiltrate the exam. This didn't bode well for Konoha or for the genin in the exam. There were two young jinjuriki in the Forest of Death right now. Itachi felt an icy chill of foreboding as he and Shisui raced through the forest with Anko following not far behind. There was an unusual chakra signature towards the middle of the forest. It was of a man with elite jonin or even kage level chakra reserves. No genin with the exception of Uzumaki Naruto possessed such high chakra reserves. The sand jinchuriki had astounding chakra reserves too, but they paled in comparison to this stranger and those of Uzumaki Naruto._

_When he, Shisui and Anko arrived at the scene, his heart nearly stopped beating when he caught sight of Orochimaru fighting his brother's team. The Snake Sannin was focused on Sasuke. Naruto was fighting against two snake summons on the forest floor. The kunoichi on their team was cowering on a branch above._

_Just as Itachi arrived, Orochimaru had dived at Sasuke. Stretching out his neck grotesquely, the snake sannin looked like he meant to bite the boy in the neck. Pushing more chakra into his feet, Itachi ran at the Snake Sannin and kicked his head aside and into the tree nearby._

_The skirmish between the Sannin and the ANBU had passed in a blur. Orochimaru's summons were causing havoc, so Itachi went to help Sasuke and his teammates get rid of the monstrous serpents. After they had gotten rid of the snakes, Itachi went back to help Shisui and Anko. A terrifying sight greeted him, Shisui collapsed on the forest floor. He looked dead for all intents and purposes. _

_Itachi didn't notice the tomoe of his Sharingan blend together, but a tremendous rage welled up in his heart and he was able to drive away Orochimaru from the forest. When he got back, Sasuke's team was waiting anxiously as Anko worked on sucking the poison out of the Shisui's bite. _

_Itachi would later discover that he had awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan that day._

_Shisui recovered, but the terror at seeing his friend lifeless on that branch in the Forest of Death would haunt Itachi for weeks. _

_The one saving grace after the chunin exams were over was that Sasuke had made chunin and had discarded the skirt and rope belt for the navy blue fatigues and forest green flak jacket common amongst Konoha's chunin. Itachi caught his mother burning the blue cloth and purple rope belt. She was muttering to herself whether or not this was karmic vengeance for all the times that she had dressed her son up like a doll in those silk hakamas when he was a child._

xxx

"What I wanted to tell you was that Kosho mentioned that Sasuke stopped by his house before he went on a mission. You know what genin are like. Kosho acts cool, but he's just a kid. And kids get excited when they get to talk to people they admire." Shisui looked wistful for a moment. "Kosho and Aoshiso used to worship the ground I walked on, but they've gotten to know me too well so the novelty's worn off."

Itachi snorted. "Are you telling me this because you want me to tell Sasuke to stop stealing away your genin team's worshipful attention of you?"

Shisui scratched his head. "I hadn't even thought about asking you that. That's not a bad idea."

Itachi fought valiantly to keep a straight face. "I'm just imagining what that conversation would sound like."

Shisui cringed. "On second thought, that doesn't sound like such a good idea after all." He paused before continuing in the original vein. "That got me thinking. It's the eleventh anniversary now. Sasuke'll be heading to the Military Police Department again. He gets a bit closer every year. Now that he's talking to Kagami about it too, he's knocking on the door of the truth."

Itachi looked down at his hands. "I'm going to tell him. I'm going to tell Sasuke the truth this year."

"What?" Shisui gasped. "You can't be serious!"

"I told him the truth about the Uchiha clan's plans for the coup. I'm going to tell him about the assassinations when he gets back from his mission."

Shisui put his hand on Itachi's shoulder. "If you'd like me to be there for it, I can."

Itachi gripped his friend's arm and gave him a small smile. "You helped me with the planning, but I executed the orders. I should tell him myself."

Shisui looked uneasy. "How did he react to the truth about the coup?"

Itachi looked uncomfortable. "Not well. He didn't believe me. He kicked over the coffee table and stormed out."

Shisui looked offended. "That's a nice coffee table."

"I haven't spoken to him since. We haven't been able to spend as much time together now that we need to stagger our ANBU missions. Usually only one of us is in the village at a time."

"If he reacted like that to news of the coup, I'm afraid to think what he'll do if you tell him about your mission."

"Me too," replied Itachi.

* * *

After her cousin was made the Head of the Branch House, Hyuga Neji had taken to wearing the traditional black and white Hyuga clothing. Hanabi enjoyed teasing him about it. Hinata was too terrified of her precarious position as the Hyuga heiress to do the same.

Whenever the three cousins trained together, Hanabi always tried to mess up her unflappable older cousin's immaculate clothing and hair. Although she wasn't a fire type, Hanabi was relatively proficient with the Uchiha clan's trademark Fireball Jutsu. She had been peer pressured by her three Uchiha teammates into learning it. Last year when they had been training together, Hanabi was able to surprise Neji with it and burn the edges of his long hair. The resulting scuffle and killer intent was amusing until Hinata got caught in the crossfire.

Hanabi was beginning to train for her chunin exams, so Neji and Hinata were working to help her perfect her Hyuga style taijutsu and ninjutsu as well as teach the genin several of their trademark jutsus. The three cousins shared water affinities.

Her teammates were both members of the Uchiha clan as was her sensei. Uchiha Kosho had awakened his Sharingan on his last mission, so he was training with Shisui-sensei to help perfect his use of the new visual jutsu.

Although they deemed it an unnecessary exercise, Shisui-sensei had brought chakra paper to their last team meeting. Hyuga Hanabi discovered that she had a water affinity, which was not news to her. Uchiha Kosho discovered that he was a fire affinity, which was not news to him. Uchiha Aoshiso discovered that he was a wind affinity, which had news for him. That explained why he had considerable difficulty picking up the Fireball jutsu - Kosho just said it was because he was an idiot.

Apparently wind affinities were a rare thing, the only other Konoha ninjas with wind affinities were Sarutobi Asuma and Uzumaki Naruto. Shisui was friendly with Asuma, so he had conned the other ninja into giving his student some pointers in controlling and learning wind jutsu. Aoshiso was hoping that this would give him an opportunity to learn the Wind Style: Rasen Shuriken from Uzumaki Naruto, but Shisui didn't think it would be wise. He explained to a skeptical Aoshiso that the jutsu he described was a S-Rank jutsu that required immense chakra reserves. Naruto could perform the jutsu a couple of times in one day; if Aoshiso attempted it once, he would probably die from chakra depletion.

Shisui-sensei could use Water Jutsu, but he didn't have a water affinity like Hanabi's sister and cousin, so he was unable to perform high level ones. He had seen several with his Sharingan and understood the basics of them; however, Hanabi had trouble perfecting the jutsu when she didn't have someone to demonstrate the technique for her.

After Hanabi had pierced the leaves of a nearby tree for the fifth time with the water senbon jutsu, Hinata nodded approvingly. "You've got it pretty well down, Hanabi. You're using a bit more chakra than you should be with your water transformation. The nature transformation is flawless. I had the same problem perfecting it myself, but with a little practice, you should have it down."

"Awesome, thanks, Hina!" said Hanabi. She held out a hand and carefully created a water senbon in it. "It's handy to be able to use chakra senbon and water senbon in case I run out of kunai."

Training today was especially difficult. The three Hyuga cousins were standing on the large lake by the corner of the Uchiha compound. Hinata explained that it would help them preserve chakra when performing back to back water style jutsu. It also served as a chakra control exercise. Hanabi had only recently learned to walk on water with her chakra.

Neji stood a little ways off, "Hinata's water senbon jutsu would be a good jutsu to practice against rotation. Hina, I want to you attack Hanabi with the water senbon. Hanabi, I want you to knock them away with rotation."

"Alright," said Hanabi nervously. Her chakra control hadn't improved enough to perfect the Main House technique. She hoped that Neji wouldn't be too disappointed. She summoned chakra, focusing on all of her chakra points as best she could. She didn't had time to doubt herself before Hinata attacked her with a flurry of senbon. "Hakkeshō Kaiten!"

Expelling chakra from as many chakra points as she could and twirling around, Hanabi was able to knock away a good amount of the chakra needles. When she stopped, breathing heavily, she noticed that several of Hinata's senbon had pierced her. Cursing, she pulled one out from her stomach, two from her lower back and three on each leg.

Hinata and Neji looked at each other before walking over to Hanabi. "Your chakra control is definitely improving, but I don't think you should use it until you are able to project chakra from ever point in your body," said Neji. "There are several openings in your rotation which can be breached as Hinata was able to with her water senbon. I don't think you should use this in the chunin exams until you've perfected it."

Hanabi pouted. "It's really close; I don't see why I shouldn't use it."

Hinata pulled out a senbon that she had missed from her shoulder blade. "It's dangerous having this many holes in your defense. It uses a lot of chakra and as you have it now, it doesn't knock away all of the projectiles. If these were poisoned senbon you'd be dead."

Hanabi sighed in defeat. "I guess you have a point. But I don't really have any other defensive jutsu. My book is comprised mostly of offensive jutsu."

Neji nodded in understanding. "I have a water style defensive jutsu that I want to teach you. This is effective in dodging weapons, but it will also block other people's ninjutsu. It's especially effective against fire style jutsu. It's called the water wall. Watch, here are the hand signs. "_Tora - Mi - Ne - Mi - Tora_."

"Okay," said Hanabi, moving her fingers into the signs as Neji. "Suiton: Suijinheki!" A wall of water sprung up in front of her from the pond. "Neat!"

* * *

As he reached down to collect the scroll, he noticed something strange at the top of the scroll. It was the crest of his clan and next to it, the crest of the Hyuga clan. What on earth? The scroll shouldn't have opened with his blood and chakra; he hadn't had anything to do with the original sealing. Many scrolls would open when anyone's blood and chakra was applied to them. However, these scrolls that they had collected were secret scrolls. They should only react to the Hokage's blood and chakra or the blood and chakra of the parties involved in the scroll.

He knew that he shouldn't read it; that was shinoibi rule number who knows. But it had opened to his chakra and it had his clan symbol and the Hyuga clan's symbol on it, so he felt justified. He could beg for Jiraiya's forgiveness later.

Glancing around the clearing to be sure no one was watching, he noted that Naruto had his back turned as he picked up some of the other scrolls. Yamato was still tending to Kakashi who had fainted again. That man fainted so often. Sasuke wouldn't be surprised if the Copy nin did it so he wouldn't have to walk back to Konoha himself. Poor Yamato would probably be forced to carry Kakashi on his back.

Confident that he wouldn't be noticed, he unfurled and quickly skimmed the text of the document. He was bowled over to see several familiar names among its contents.

_In order to ensure peace in the Konoha Village and to further the balance of power, we Sarutobi Hiruzen, Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuga Hiashi agree to the following terms as witnessed by Shimura Danzo, Uchiha Inabi, Uchiha Tekka, Uchiha Yakumi, Uchiha Yashiro, Hyuga Kaede, Hyuga Kioshi and Hyuga Mitsui._

_On her eighteenth birthday, Hyuga Hinata, the heiress of the Hyuga Clan, will be wed to Uchiha Itachi, the heir of the Uchiha Clan. Her dowry will be one third of the Hyuga Main House's wealth at that time. With her marriage, Hyuga Hinata will denounce any claims she has to be the next Head of the Hyuga Clan as she will become a member of the Uchiha Clan. The title will be passed to the next eligible heiress or heir within the Hyuga Clan. _

_Any children from this union in possession of the Byakugan will become members of the Hyuga Clan while any other children will be members of the Uchiha Clan._

_Sarutobi Hiruzen _

_Uchiha Fugaku _

_Hyuga Hiashi _

_Witnesses:_

_Shimura Danzo _

_Uchiha Inabi _

_Uchiha Tekka _

_Uchiha Yakumi _

_Uchiha Yashiro _

_Hyuga Kaede _

_Hyuga Kioshi _

_Hyuga Mitsui _

He was sure his hands were trembling as he rolled up the scroll again and sealed it shut. Hinata and Itachi? Why had he never heard of this before? The names of five of the witnesses were hauntingly familiar. He had seen them all together in another set of documents only this week.

A date was written at the top. This treaty was signed two months before the accident, the accident in which Sasuke's father as well as all of the Uchiha and the Hokage's witnesses had died. The only people still alive who had signed this document were the members of the Hyuga clan. The Third Hokage, Shimura Danzo and the six members of the Uchiha clan were now dead. Why had he not heard about this treaty? Was it a secret? Were the Hyuga trying to cover it up?

His mind flew back to the conversation he had with Uchiha Kagami before he left on his mission.

xxx

"_I only attended one meeting. Hiruzen and Fugaku meet in the Hokage's sound proofed office for days after the conspiracy was uncovered. The co-conspirators attended some and even Hyuga Hiashi and the Hyuga clan elders attended a handful," said Kagami Uchiha._

"_The Hyuga clan?" Sasuke asked, " Why on earth would the Hyuga clan have become involved in Uchiha clan business?"_

"_The Uchiha clan is very powerful, Sasuke. We have some of the strongest ninjas within our clan. We possess one of the most powerful kekkei genkai as well. However, the Uchiha are a warlike clan, we do not possess much in the way of material wealth. The Hyuga also possess a powerful kekkei genkai and strong ninja; however, they have something that we don't have: vast riches."_

"_Hm," pondered Sasuke. "So you're saying that if the Hyuga clan attended this meeting, it was most likely because the Hokage was relying on them to offer the Uchiha a monetary bribe?"_

"_That would be my best guess."_

xxx

A monetary bribe, a wealthy bride. The Hyuga clan would have to sign over one third of their wealth to the Uchiha clan when Hinata and Itachi were married. The fact the money transfer would have to wait until Hinata's eighteenth birthday ensured the Uchiha clan's good behavior until then. The Hyuga clan would benefit in the chance that Hinata had any children with the Byakugan. The Hyuga clan was hard on Hinata, but they were very impressed with Itachi. They had been impressed even eleven years ago when his brother was only thirteen.

"Hey, Panther, is everything alright. You look pale? Is that wound still bothering you?" the fox masked nin asked wandering up to him. He held out the storage scroll and Sasuke dropped the Uchiha-Hyuga treaty in it.

"I'll be fine," replied Sasuke.

* * *

**Here's a list of the jutsus used:**

**Raikiri - Lightning Blade**

**Hyōton: Tsubame Fubuki - Ice Style: Swallow Snow Storm**

**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu - Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu**

**Hyōton: Haryū Mōko - Ice Release: Tearing Dragon Fierce Tiger**

**Fūton: Shinkūha - Wind Style: Vacuum Blast**

**Katon: Zukokku - Fire Style: Searing Migraine**

**Suiton: Suijinheki - Water Style: Water Wall**

**Kamui**

**Mokuton: Mokusatsu Shibari no Jutsu - Wood Style: Silent Strangle Jutsu**

**Suiton: Suigadan - Water Style: Water Fang Bullet**

**Raiton: Gian - Lightning Style: False Darkness **

**Chidori Eisō - Chidori Sharp Spear**

**Hakkeshō Kaiten - Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven**

* * *

**Please Review!  
**


	7. Chapter Six- The Shisui & Itachi Special

**A/N: A special thank you to all my lovely reviewers: Jao Jao, Charming Essence, alquiem, luvhinata, Lecs, MinaMina, NaviTheGoddess, Shippooliver and AN1M3STAR.**

**I was so tickled to have received so many reviews for my last chapter. Thank you again so much everyone for your comments!**

**I've been giving considerable thought to the pairings that I'll be using for this story. I've mapped out the plot for the rest of the Treaty and also a short sequel which I'll most likely title The Endgame. Using the ItaHina and SasuTema pairings will work better with some of the exciting plot twists that I've thought up. After I finish The Treaty and The Endgame and if I'm still motivated, I might do a quick alternate ending to The Treaty that will be SasuHina. I have an idea of where the plots could splinter off into the two separate pairings, but I'm not sure how much work it would entail. :-/**

**I'd also like to give a shout out to my lovely Beta, Lecs, and also wolfpirate13 who Beta-ed the prologue for me! They were so lovely to track down my spelling errors and give me input about the characters and the story flow. I've reposted the previous chapters with their revisions taken into account. **

* * *

**Chapter Six**

**The Shisui and Itachi Special**

**a.k.a "No, I'm pretty sure that it's called The Itachi and Shisui Special."**

* * *

The three ANBU members stood at attention in Jiraiya's office: a beaver, a panther and a fox. The Hokage had his hands folded over the scrolls that the ANBU had returned from the Fire Shrine. Tsunade also stood in the room, hands resting on the back of the Hokage's chair as she leaned forward enraptured by the ANBU's account of their mission.

"I was skeptical at first when I read the scroll assigning this to an ANBU team. I thought it deserved a much lower rank." Jiraiya said half to himself. "Akatsuki; Kakuzu from the Village Hidden in the Waterfall and Mizore Shinku, the Bane of the Village Hidden in the Frost. Your team did well in defending yourselves against them. It's shocking that the one named Kakuzu killed his partner and…"

"…took Shinku's still beating heart out of his chest and incorporated it into his own body," finished Naruto. "Yeah, it was shocking for us too."

"Kakuzu and Mizore Shinku," interrupted Tsunade. "Do we know anything about them, Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "Mizore Shinku is a recent addition to the bingo books. He must be a recent addition to the Akatsuki as well. He's from the Village Hidden in the Frost. His name is fitting, it means crimson sleet. He was implicated in the assassination of their feudal lord."

"He did seem like he was new to the whole missing nin thing," said Yamato in agreement. "He would have spilled even more of the Akatsuki's secrets if his partner hadn't killed him. Apparently they wanted to capture Naruto for a man named Lord Pain. Kakuzu mentioned their leader, so Kakuzu is more than likely not the one in charge; or perhaps that's what he wanted us to believe. He did kill his comrade after saying that the leader wouldn't like it, so he's influential enough in the group to be allowed that sort of freedom. Shinku said that each member had a quota to fulfill and Kakuzu had already reached his when he captured the seven tails. He also told us that he wished to prove himself to Rain ninjas. Perhaps another team of Akatsuki members are rain ninjas or perhaps the Hidden Rain Village is a financial backer for the organization."

Jiraiya nodded approvingly. "He did reveal to us a lot of information. I can see why his partner silenced him."

"What about this Kakuzu character? He was very strong and appeared invincible. It seems that he captures other ninja's hearts so that he can use their jutsu. He used a number of high level jutsu from different elemental affinities. That should be impossible," said Sasuke.

"I have heard of a Kakuzu before," said Tsunade. "But it couldn't be the same man. That would be impossible."

"I haven't seen him in any bingo books," added Jiraiya. "Where have you heard of him, Tsunade?"

"My grandfather spoke of him once. When he reigned as the first Hokage, he and his ANBU fought off an assassination attempt from an elite ninja from the Village Hidden in the Waterfall. He was around my grandfather's age and was very skilled. He killed four ANBU, but was bested by Hashirama. After my grandfather defeated him, he asked the man his name. It was Kakuzu. Kakuzu's abilities were similar then; he could use those cords like you described and had powerful earth style jutsu, but my grandfather never mentioned him using other affinities or anything about masks."

"Wait, a second," said Naruto. "So if he's the same age as the First Hokage that would make him…"

"Over one hundred years old."

"That should be impossible," said Yamato.

"I guess that's why I haven't seen him in any recent bingo books. His name must have been crossed out years ago. People assume that he's dead."

"Maybe he's a zombie," volunteered Yamato.

"That should be impossible," Sasuke countered.

Tsunade cleared her throat. "My great uncle actually developed a jutsu to raise the dead. It's a forbidden jutsu, but it does exist."

"Don't say shit like that to me!" said Naruto. "Do you want to give me a heart attack, granny?"

"Perhaps these hearts not only supplement his jutsu, but also prolong his lifespan," said Yamato.

"It's a distinct possibility," said Tsunade, brushing off Naruto's comment.

"Hm," Jiraiya pondered. "With those two attacks by the Akatsuki, first on Itachi's ANBU team and then on Kakashi's ANBU team, Naruto, you're going to have to be more careful. It seems like the Akatsuki is adamant about capturing you. After Sasori and Orochimaru failed to get into Konoha and were grievously wounded, I'm surprised that the Akatsuki leader would send another team in so soon. They've been unusually aggressive."

"Itachi?" gasped Sasuke worriedly. "What happened to my brother?"

"Orochimaru attacked Itachi's squad because he desired to use your brother as his next reincarnation," Jiraiya answered.

"His what?" wondered Sasuke.

"We'll explore this further," announced Jiraiya, not wanting to go to the trouble of elaborating on the subject. "Thank you, Sasuke, you can go. I want to speak with Naruto and Yamato in private."

"Go to the hospital to get that shoulder checked out," Tsunade recommended.

* * *

"It seems that your sensei has a strange habit of just collapsing randomly after his missions are done," remarked Hinata as she swept into the room, leafing through a medical chart.

"Jeez, Kakashi," muttered Sasuke amusedly. "I feel like I spend so much of my time after missions taking you to the hospital. You shouldn't overuse your Sharingan so much."

"It's not a good habit to fall into, no," quipped Hinata. "So where are Naruto and Yamato? Will they be coming over soon too?"

Sasuke picked at some of the dried blood underneath his nails. "Jiraiya wanted to talk with them about some jinchuriki stuff. They should be over soon." He leaned back in his chair to regard her. "Sakura said that it was just chakra exhaustion. He should be fine after a day of rest. Come to see me?"

Hinata flipped through the pages of the report with a sigh when she noticed the name of the attending physician. "Not exactly. Tsunade wanted me to do a consultation."

"Consultation?" Sasuke wondered. "That can't be good."

Hinata flipped Kakashi's medical file shut, turning to Sasuke. "Just standard operating procedure now for Mangekyo Sharingan usage."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Mangekyo Sharingan? There can't be that many shinobi using that with any regularity. Just Kakashi really and... my brother."

"Right."

"Who... you treated a couple days ago."

"Right."

"Hm," Sasuke muttered to himself.

"What's with the… dramatic pauses? Is something wrong?" wondered Hinata.

Sasuke pursed his lips. "Not exactly," he said. He turned to her. "When do you get off work today? Would you be up for some training afterwards?"

Hinata pulled a hand through her dark hair. "The Hyuga clan has two noblemen visiting from Kenkaji this week so I'm required to be back at the compound for dinner with them, so tonight's not good. I'll also probably have a big surgery this afternoon, so I'll be low on chakra. I don't start my shift tomorrow until 4pm though; do you want to do lunch and then train afterwards?"

"Probably have a big surgery? You don't know yet?" Sasuke wondered.

"We've called in a specialist for an unusual procedure. I just need to get it all cleared with Tsunade and the patient."

Sasuke looked at Kakashi curiously. "Okay, tomorrow's fine."

"Are you sure nothing's wrong? You're acting kinda weird."

"Everything's fine," Sasuke said.

"Okay," Hinata said, putting down the medical chart on the table next to them. She picked at the long white sleeves of her medical coat. "You know that you can talk to me if anything's wrong. I heard that you were attacked on your mission by the Akatsuki. Did something happen?"

Sasuke silently cursed her ability to read him so well. He stared at the wall across from him. The words of the treaty had been violently etched into his mind. She was engaged to be married to his brother – how was no one freaking out about this? Did she even know about it?

She walked over to him and put a hand on his cheek, running the other through his hair soothingly. "You look pale..."

He reached out and grabbed her around the waist, hanging on tightly. He buried his head in her chest, breathing in her clean, lavender scent. Confused by his sudden action, she regarded the back of his head with worried eyes.

There was a shuffling of footsteps in the doorway. Pale eyes met with green as a familiar figure paused in the door's opening to glare at her. Hinata had explained many times to Sakura that she and Sasuke weren't dating, but the pink-haired kunoichi still held a grudge.

"Hi, Sakura," said Hinata quietly.

"Hi, Sasuke," said the girl, acknowledging the Uchiha first before eyeing the Hyuga. "What are you doing here, Hinata?"

After Sasuke reluctantly released her from his hold, Hinata handed the pink-haired kunoichi the medical chart. "Lady Tsunade asked for a consult. I'm here to conduct an eye exam to ensure that there were no complications from his Sharingan overuse."

Sakura snatched the medical chart away from Hinata perhaps a bit more violently than was necessary. "I'm Kakashi's attending physician. I wasn't informed of this."

Hinata unconsciously took a step away from Sakura. "It's a new policy."

Sakura shifted her weight to her left leg and put a hand on her hip. "I'm more than capable to conduct an eye exam, Hinata. I think you should leave."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

Hinata took a deep breath and tried to keep herself from rolling her eyes. "The Byakugan is necessary for this procedure."

"And what is this procedure? I have never heard of anyone ever having complications besides chakra exhaustion from Sharingan overuse."

"It's classified information," said Hinata crossing her arms over her chest.

"Classified!" Sakura said, her voice climbing into higher registers in her rage. "I-"

Sasuke leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. "The Sharingan is an Uchiha clan secret. The clan closely guards any knowledge of our dojutsu. You probably don't have the clearance or the authority to know more about the procedure or the diagnosis."

"And she does?" Sakura screeched, pointing at Hinata. "She's a Hyuga, not an Uchiha! Even a civilian born kunoichi like me can tell the difference."

"Sakura," began Hinata, as she noticed the machine behind her beeping. "You need to calm down or leave. You're making Kakashi's blood pressure spike."

Sakura advanced on Hinata. "I refuse to leave until you tell me what this procedure is. Kakashi's my patient. I'm entitled to know of the risks involved so I can advise him about whether or not he should take this treatment."

"Tsunade and I will be advising Kakashi about this procedure."

"You would just love that, wouldn't you!" growled Sakura grabbing Hinata's arm. "Well I'm -"

Feeling the killer intent emanating from his teammate, Sasuke decided that it was about time to intervene. "Just calm down and do what she says, Sakura." Sasuke stood from his chair and forcibly pulled Sakura's hand from Hinata's arm. "It's not because she's a member of the Hyuga clan that she has the clearance for this. It's because she's been developing new medical dojutsu techniques with Tsunade. What have you been doing?"

Sakura pulled back her hand from him like she had been struck. She looked at Sasuke with an unreadable emotion in her eyes. It was part longing and part loathing. It seemed that all the commotion had woken their patient. "Icha Icha," came the weak voice of the Copy ninja from his bed.

* * *

Senju Tsunade glanced up at the viewing gallery where her other apprentice Haruno Sakura was clutching the railing in a death grip and grinding her teeth as she watched Hinata and Tsunade prepare Kakashi for the surgery.

"I'm going to administer the anesthesia now, Hinata. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," said Hinata, looking up apprehensively at Sakura.. "I'm ready."

Tsunade noticed the girl's gaze towards the gallery and asked, "Is it alright for Sakura to watch? If it's going to disturb your concentration, I can ask her to leave. She wanted to watch and I thought that it would be a useful exercise for her, but if it'll affect the surgery, I'll ask her to leave."

Kakashi cleared his throat from the bed where he was waited for the surgery. His head was secured in a frame to prevent any movement. Staring at the ceiling, he commented, "I'd prefer for my surgeon not to be distracted. Can you ask Sakura to leave?"

"No, that's alright, Tsunade-sama," said Hinata. "You do not need to worry Hatake-san. My concentration will not be affected in any way by Sakura's presence."

Kakashi huffed. "Do what you think is best. I just want to get this over with. You might not need to administer any anesthesia, Tsunade, the thought of the procedure makes me want to pass out in terror."

Tsunade pursed her lips in annoyance. "You would do well not to insult your surgeon right before the surgery. Hinata's an extremely talented medical ninja and dojutsu user. You have no need to worry. So far we have a 100% success rate for this particular procedure."

"Wohoo," said Kakashi dryly.

"Don't worry so much, Kakashi," said Tsunade. "We can stop the surgery now if you're having second thoughts; though once Hinata starts operating, we can't, so let us know now."

Kakashi sighed and said, "I trust you two."

Tsunade administered the local anesthesia as Hinata activated her Byakugan.

* * *

The surgery was a success. Once she activated her bloodline and concentrated on the procedure, the world around her and all the stresses of the day faded away to feel of the medical chakra in her hands, the sight of the chakra clots in her patient's chakra vessels and the regular beeping of her patient's vital's monitor.

Hatake Kakashi's condition was not as advanced as Uchiha Itachi's; nonetheless, the clotting in his chakra pathways was concerning. It was good that she and Tsunade had performed the procedure before Kakashi's condition had taken a turn for the worse.

She felt a great deal of pride in herself for another successful surgery. She and Senju Tsunade had developed this technique together over a long course of study and development. It was so amazing to see the end result! She had used a great deal of chakra during the procedure; though, not nearly as much as she had during Uchiha Itachi's. It was good that she and Sasuke had moved their training session to tomorrow afternoon.

As she stepped out of the hospital, with her head bowed in exhaustion, she allowed herself a small smile as she remembered Tsunade putting a hand on her shoulder and saying with a smile, "Very well done, Hinata. I couldn't be more proud of you."

Hinata's heart swelled at her mentor's words. She closed her eyes and let the warmth of the Sannin's words flow over her. She never received these words from her family; she was so starved for anyone's admiration. When her eyes opened, they drifted without her accord towards the viewing gallery where they met the eyes of Tsunade's other apprentice. Fury and resentment were the emotions foremost in the other girl's eyes but there was also envy and insecurity simmering beneath the surface.

Hinata finally allowed herself to reflect on the memories that had been lingering at the back of her mind and taunting her as she prepared for the surgery. There had been bad blood between herself, Ino and Sakura for years. When they were children they had been close - that is, Ino sort of took both of them under her wing. Ino and Sakura had been friends first and then Hinata joined the fold. They had been a girlish Triumvirate for about three years before a boy caused a great schism between them.

At the tender age of eight, Sakura fancied herself in love with Uchiha Sasuke and swore that she could no longer be friends with Ino or Hinata. They were now rivals for the Uchiha boy's affections.

The betrayal affected Hinata and Ino differently. This was the first time that anyone had ever turned their back on Yamanaka Ino. It had been disorienting for the blonde girl. She clung tighter to Hinata through it all; they became even closer friends than they had been before.

Having grown up in the Hyuga Clan, Hinata was used to people turning their backs on her. Her mother had died when she was just a girl, leaving her at the mercy of her stern father and harsh members of the council. Her cousin Neji had written her off after his father was killed in the place of her own. She had dealt with betrayal before and she had dealt with it in more dangerous doses. Sakura's tantrum seemed shallow and unimportant by comparison. Besides, Hinata had been convinced that it was some sort of joke and that Sakura would go back to being her friend soon.

xxx

_She saw the pink haired girl walking ahead of her on the street. Hinata ran up ahead while her bodyguard, Hyuga Ko, trailed behind her. He smiled at her proudly. Hinata-sama had gained so much confidence because of her close association with that Yamanaka girl and her friendship with the younger Uchiha boy. _

_Hinata caught up to Sakura and grabbed her shoulder. "Hi, Sakura. I haven't seen you in a while. Ino and I will be practicing our taijutsu tomorrow morning in training field ten. Want to come too?"_

_Sakura turned around in surprise. She raised an eyebrow and looked at the Hyuga heiress with a sneer. "I thought that I made it clear to you that I don't want to be friends with you or Ino anymore."_

_Hinata raised an eyebrow in turn. "Are you sure? That seems silly. I don't understand why you want to fight Ino over Uchiha Sasuke. That's not a good reason to stop being friends with us. Besides, I talked with Sasuke about it. He doesn't like you like that. He told me himself."_

_Sakura screamed in rage. "I hate you, Hinata! You think you're going to win, but I won't let you!"_

"_But, Sakura… Sasuke and I are just friends. I'm not…" began Hinata._

_Sakura fisted her hands together. Howling like a wounded animal, Sakura let her fist fly at the Hyuga heiress. Hinata was completely taken aback by her former friend's actions that she wasn't able to hold up her hands to defend herself. _

"_I hope you realize what you're doing, little girl," said Ko, as he shunshined in front of Sakura and grabbed her wrist before she could lay a hand on Hinata. "You were about to harm the heiress of the Hyuga clan in the middle of Konoha." He tossed aside her wrist more roughly than was necessary. "If I ever see you trying to harm Hinata-sama ever again, you and your family will sorely regret it."_

_Frightened by the bodyguard's words, Sakura ran away without offering so much as an apology. Ko didn't notice the murderous glance that Sakura sent Hinata on her way back to her house. _

_Putting a kind hand on Hinata shoulder, Ko counseled, "That girl does not want to be your friend, Hinata. I realize that you are trying to be the better person by reconciling with her, but it would be better if you didn't."_

_After time passed, it became clear that Sakura didn't want to be her friend again. Hinata's friendship with Sasuke would always be a point of contention between the two former friends. Hinata came to realize that Sakura had truly written her off. _

_Sakura was an extremely bright girl, so she had excelled at the ninja academy. Sakura always outscored Hinata on her written exams. She liked to check Hinata's test scores over the Hyuga heiress's shoulders and then taunt her about them._

"_Why, Hinata, it looks like the heiress to the great Hyuga clan still can't score higher than a measly carpenter's daughter. You should just quit the academy and save yourself and your clan the embarrassment," Sakura taunted._

"_Why don't you leave Hinata alone, Sakura," said a voice from behind her. Ino gave Hinata a smile and Sakura a glare. "Hinata only scored a point less than you. Look, she got a ninety percent and you go a ninety-one percent." Holding out her test paper, Ino countered, "I had a perfect paper. Maybe if you spent less time harassing Hinata or dyeing your hair, you would have done the same, Forehead Girl."_

"_Shut up, Ino pig!"_

_However, Sakura was no match for Ino, Sasuke or Shino who were always neck and neck for the highest grade at the academy. In the end, Sasuke graduated first with Ino as a close second and Shino as a close third. Hinata fell out somewhere in the middle of the pack._

_When genin teams were assigned, Hinata expected to be placed on a team with either Sasuke or Ino. They usually put the three top scorers on separate ninja squads. As the heiress to one of the noble clans, Hinata would be placed in a squad with other members of important ninja clans. Hinata was disappointed to be put on a squad with Shino and Kiba instead of her one of her friends, but in the end it worked out for the best. _

"_Guess who got put on a team with Sasuke, girls," taunted Sakura. "I guess you'll have to play second fiddle to me now."_

_Hinata, Ino and Sasuke were all part of the rookie genin squads that entered into the chunin exams in Konoha that year. Hinata had been extremely apprehensive about the exams. Both Hyuga Neji and Haruno Sakura were taking the exams and both were out for her blood. _

_Hinata's team had intervened to help out Ino's team when the other Konoha rookies were in over their heads with an experienced genin team from the Hidden Sound village. Hinata healed the members of Team Asuma, while Kiba and Shino fought the Sound Ninjas. During the middle of the battle, Sasuke's team had arrived having heard the commotion. Sasuke and Naruto joined Kiba and Shino to thoroughly rout the Oto genin. _

_Hinata's knowledge of medical ninjutsu was very elementary, but all the same she was able to patch Choji and Shikamaru up pretty well. Throughout the battle, Sakura hovered by Hinata and Team Asuma, too afraid to take part in the battle with the Sound Ninjas and too bitter to help Hinata or Ino. Ino was in much worse shape and in considerable pain. She lay on the ground by her teammates moaning in agony. Hinata was worried that Sakura was going to attack her and Ino, but the presence of Shikamaru and Choji, as injured as they were, seemed to give the pink haired girl pause. Even still, the Haruno girl was holding a kunai loosely in her hands._

"_What on earth's wrong with her?" wondered Sakura. "Can't you try to be a little quieter, Ino pig? Do you want to attract more Sound ninja teams?"_

"_Jeez, what the hell's wrong with you, Sakura?" Shikamaru snapped._

"_Ino's inner ear has been badly damaged," Hinata explained. "Something caused her eardrum to burst."_

"_Shikamaru and Choji didn't complain so much. And to think you call yourself a kunoichi, Ino pig," jeered Sakura._

_Shikamaru's voice was terribly icy. Hinata had never heard him so serious. "Ino shielded me and Choji from the worst of that Sound Nin's attack. She's in much worse shape than us. Show some respect, Sakura. You used to be her friend!"_

"_Shika," Ino cried out in pain._

"_I'm here, Ino," said her teammate with considerable distress. "Hinata's going to help you. Everything will be alright."_

_Hinata wasn't able to repair the eardrum, she only knew how to heal minor cuts and scrapes, but she was able to patch up the worst of Ino's injuries. The Yamanaka heiress eventually fainted from the pain, so Shikamaru and Choji were forced to carry her back to the Tower in order to complete the second portion of the exam._

_Teams Kurenai, Asuma and Kakashi had all acquired the correct scrolls, so they all were eligible to enter the preliminary matches. Sasuke defeated his opponent surprisingly quickly, even though his opponent was able to absorb chakra. Hinata had been leaning against the metal banister watching the battle enraptured. _

_She felt a hand on her shoulder when the battle had been called and the next participants were named. One was a ninja from the Sand Village in the black cat suit who carried a wrapped bundle over his back. She glanced back into the eyes of her sensei._

"_Why don't you wash that blood off your hands, Hinata," said her sensei kindly, "while you wait for your name to be called."_

_Hinata glanced down at her hands. Ino's blood was starting to dry on her palms. She had forgotten about it in her rush to get to the tower, get medical aid for Ino and see the outcome of Sasuke's match._

_Wandering out to the stadium's porch to find the women's restroom, Hinata tried to calm her breathing. Would Ino be alright? Which ninja would she be up against in her preliminary match? Kami, let it be anyone but Neji. She was so scared of him._

_The women's restroom was not too far away from the entrance to the second floor of the stadium where she had come out of. The place was deserted. Turning the faucet, Hinata let the water flow over her hands. Ino's blood stained the water red as it flowed down the drain. More or less satisfied that her hands were clean, Hinata splashed water on her face._

_Was this what being a ninja was like? Having to wash your friend's blood off your hands after you weren't able to save them? If only she had known more medical ninjutsu. Putting her head in her hands, Hinata wept bitterly. _

"_I might have known that you would be crying in here, Hinata," said a taunting voice from behind her._

"_S-Sakura!" gasped Hinata, glancing at the familiar reflection in the mirror. The pink haired kunoichi was leaning against the doorway, blocking the exit. _

"_You sure are jumpy, Hinata," Sakura taunted. She was smiling at her like a cat that had just trapped a mouse. Sakura had her arms crossed over her chest and a kunai in her right hand, shining threateningly. "I know why. Frankly I don't want to even imagine what will happen to you if you compete. I think it's best if you quit. I would hate for you to…get hurt."_

_Hinata bristled. "Are you threatening me?"_

"_Threatening you?" laughed Sakura. She used her kunai to pick at her fingernails. "I'm just…scoping out the competition." Hinata understood the doublemeaning in her words. _

"_I'm not going to quit," Hinata pronounced firmly. "That's not my ninja way."_

"_Well then, let's just hope that you don't have an…unfortunate accident," Sakura continued. "It so quiet here with everyone watching Naruto and Kiba's match right now. No one would notice if something happened to you."_

"_You wouldn't," said Hinata. She clutched at the side of the sink with her hands. "It's against every shinobi rule to hurt a comrade."_

_Sakura laughed bitterly. "Well it's too bad that I don't come from a shinobi family who would have been able to teach me that."_

"_Why are you doing this?"_

"_I would do anything for Sasuke," said Sakura._

_Sakura unhitched herself from the doorway and advanced on the other girl. Hinata was saved from having to fight the kunoichi from her own village when Kurenai sensei burst into the bathroom. _

"_Hinata, here you are! You need to hurry up, your match is next."_

_Sakura slipped her kunai back into her holster and turned to smile at Kurenai politely._

"_Who do I have to fight?" asked Hinata._

"_Hyuga Neji."_

_Sakura's smile was devilish. "Good luck, Hinata."_

xxx

A familiar voice stopped her from entertaining further thoughts as she turned to look at the person who called her name; her eyes landing on dark hair and equally dark eyes.

"I… Itachi," she stuttered..

"How are you?" he asked, offering his hand. She had put her midnight black hair up in a loose ponytail that allowed several tendrils to frame her face. She must have just gotten off a long shift because her shoulders were slumped and her eyes were lackluster. "You look exhausted, like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders."

She accepted the hand he offered her. He pulled her close and wrapped an arm comfortably around her shoulders. She sighed happily and leaned her head back into his shoulder. "You would not believe the day I've had."

Itachi breathed in the alluring lavender of her shampoo. "How about I buy you some dango and you can tell me all about it. In my experience, dango can cure anything."

She chuckled and wrapped an arm around his back as he led her towards the dango shop.

"I wanted to thank you again for helping me perfect the water senbon jutsu," said Hinata. "You're a great teacher."

Itachi chuckled. "It's my pleasure. I've had lots of practice teaching jutsu to my teammates. It wasn't any trouble. You're a fast learner."

"I don't suppose we could train together again?" asked Hinata, looking up at him winningly.

Itachi glanced down into her pearlescent eyes. "I don't have any missions scheduled, so I should be in the village for the next couple days."

"If it'll be too much trouble, you don't..."

"It wouldn't be any trouble at all. What did you have in mind?"

She rested her dark head on his shoulder. "I've gotten out of practice with my genjutsu. My genin sensei Yuhi Kurenai taught me several while I was studying to be a Tokubetsu Jonin. I was hoping that you could give me advice on them… I know that you are particularly skilled with genjutsu. Maybe not tomorrow, but the next day? In the afternoon."

"Let's plan on that. I'll let you know if any missions come up in the meantime." When the girl beside him failed to respond, Itachi looked at her curiously. "Something's upsetting you, I can tell. Would you like to talk about it?"

Hinata sighed. "I don't want to bother you with my problems..."

"I don't mind," answered Itachi. "Please, bother away."

Hinata chuckled before diving into her story. "I'll be meeting two noblemen from Kenkaji for dinner that the Hyuga clan is entertaining. I'm not looking forward to it at all."

"From the town of Kenkaji?" asked Itachi. "They wouldn't happen to be Hato Kaba and Okami?"

"You know them?" asked Hinata in shock.

Itachi brushed his hands away from his face. "I know _of_ them."

Hinata looked haunted for a moment. "They are here on business with my father and the council of elders… I fear that things other than silk are being sold."

Hato Okami. Itachi had heard the name before. As the Head of the Uchiha clan and a high ranking member of Konoha's shinobi leadership, Itachi was well aware of the man who would become the next daimyo. He was not personally acquainted with the man, but he knew of his reputation.

The man's father, Hato Kaba, had made a name for himself selling silk. He was descended from the nobility of a land that was a vassal to Fire Country. He had made a very advantageous marriage for himself by wedding the eldest daughter of the previous daimyo.

Hato Kaba had taken advantage of the daimyo's contacts at home and abroad to expand his client base tremendously. Every feudal lord and all of the nobles from their vassal countries were loyal customers of the Hato Silk Company. Movie stars and important businessmen and woman would only buy their silk from the Hato Silk Company. Every silk gown and kimono on the runways of Crescent Moon Country was made of Hato Silk. The wealth of the Hato family was almost too vast to contemplate.

When the Fire Daimyo's wife found out that she could have no more children after her daughter was born, the feudal lord's throne also came within the grasp of the Hato family. Because the position of Feudal Lord could only pass down the male line, unless the daimyo's daughter had a male child before her father died, Hato Okami would become the next feudal lord of Fire Country.

Indeed this would be a very advantageous marriage for the Hyuga clan; their financial and political power would increase dramatically. But Hinata married to this Hato Okami? Something in his chest tightened uncomfortably at the thought.

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Itachi. He looked at her curiously. "If you require my help in any of this, you only need to ask."

Hinata blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears of frustration of dripping down her face. "You're very kind to offer. I cannot tell you what it means to me. However, these are Hyuga clan affairs. My clan would be very displeased if I dragged the Uchiha clan into their private matters."

"I'm sorry if I caused offense," said Itachi quickly. "I have no intention of interfering with your clan's business; it is not my place. I offer my help not as the Head of the Uchiha clan, but as a friend. To do otherwise would no doubt be offensive to both our clan's honor and reputation."

Hinata looked at him curiously. "You're better at these clan politics than I am."

Itachi chuckled wryly, "I've only had more practice. I've been the head of the Uchiha clan for five years now."

Hinata sighed discontentedly. "I've been the heiress of the Hyuga clan for nearly eighteen. I should be better."

"So how are things at the hospital?" Itachi asked as a way of changing the subject. When Hinata's expression didn't brighten at the mention of her work, Itachi felt contrite. "Difficult day? I'm sorry for bringing it up. I can't seem to say anything right today."

Hinata chuckled a bit. "Things at the hospital were stressful today, but you don't need to apologize for bringing it up. I don't mind speaking about it. I had to perform an exhausting surgery today and the presence of a certain kunoichi watching me like a hawk while I was doing it didn't help matters. She was from the same class at the academy as I was and we both began studying medical ninjutsu around the same time. I've never done her any harm, but she just seems to hate me so much. I feel so guilty around her, but I'm not sure why."

Itachi pondered this thought for a moment. He had a feeling that he knew who she was speaking of. One of Sasuke's teammates was a girl named Sakura Haruno. She was a talented kunoichi to be sure; however, she was a first generation kunoichi from a civilian family. Being from a civilian family could be a tremendous detriment to an aspiring ninja. It was a sad fact of life, but it could be very difficult to be taken seriously and receive private training without any clan affiliations.

Sakura had studied medical ninjutsu under Senju Tsunade and her jonin sensei had been Hatake Kakashi, so in that respect she was more fortunate than many other first generation ninja. However, she had never been her teachers' sole focus.

Kakashi had also trained Itachi's brother, a prodigy from the Uchiha clan and the cousin to Uchiha Obito, Kakashi's best friend who had died tragically on a mission. Kakashi's third student had been Uzumaki Naruto, the jinchuriki of the nine-tailed fox and the only son of Namikaze Minato, Kakashi's beloved sensei. How could a kunoichi from a civilian clan hope to compete for her sensei's attention when her other teammates were shinobi like Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto?

Sakura's other teacher was Senju Tsunade, the legendary kunoichi of Konoha's Sannin. Tsunade was the most talented medical ninja in the entirety of the shinobi world. It was a coup that Sakura could even have a woman like that as her teacher.

Tsunade had left Konoha many years before. However, after the death of the Third Hokage at the hands of Orochimaru and Sasori of the Red Sand, Tsunade had returned to Konoha with Jiraya, the third member of the legendary Sannin.

Jiraiya had been asked by the council to become the Fifth Hokage and he politely declined in favor of Tsunade. She seemed a shoe-in for the position, even though she found it odious. She was a Sannin and she was the granddaughter of one Hokage, the grandniece of another and a student of a third. It was almost as if it had been written in the stars. However, one member of the council was against Tsunade's appointment. Uchiha Kagami had been appointed to the Konoha council of elders after the near disaster that was the Uchiha coup d'etat.

Things had gotten much better within the Uchiha clan after the death of Uchiha Fugaku and the appointment of his son Uchiha Itachi as the new Head of the Uchiha clan. However, several members of the clan were still radicals and resented the control that the Senju clan held over the village. Appointing another Senju as Hokage, could reignite the fire keg that was the Uchiha clan. Kagami recommended that they appoint Jiraiya instead.

Nonetheless, Jiraiya and Uzumaki Naruto sought out Tsunade and returned her to Konoha. During the journey, Uzumaki Naruto had changed something within Tsunade. She agreed to return to Konoha, whether as Hokage or not. In the end, Jiraiya finally accepted the position of Hokage and Tsunade stayed in Konoha as the Hokage's assistant and the Head of the Hospital.

Tsunade, a descendent of Uzumaki Mito, had begun training Naruto in several Uzumaki ninjutsus and seals that she had learned from her grandmother. Naruto's indomitable spirit reminded her so much of her younger brother and her dead fiancé, so Naruto would always be her favorite student.

When Tsunade returned to Konoha, she also took on two other apprentices. The last of the Senju offered to teach the heiress of the Hyuga clan and a civilian couple's daughter in medical ninjutsu. Tsunade had been instantly impressed with Hinata's maturity and gentle manner. Hinata had astonishing chakra control and an impressive command of the Byakugan. The girl was extremely bright; though, perhaps not as bright as her other student Sakura. Where Sakura was all book smarts and impressive chakra control, Hinata was all intuition and imagination.

Sakura would perform all of the techniques that Tsunade taught her flawlessly; however, Hinata would take the techniques and modify them to include the use of her Byakugan. A medical ninja that could see inside a patient's body even to the microscopic level of a person's chakra network was an extremely impressive thing. Hinata was able to prove diagnoses and implement medical procedures that Tsunade had only been able to theorize. Itachi had seen it firsthand! How could a kunoichi from a civilian clan hope to compete for her sensei's attention when her master's other apprentices were kunoichi like Hyuga Hinata?

Itachi finally spoke. "I think I know who you're speaking about. I haven't had too many dealings with Haruno Sakura, my brother knows her much better. However, if I was to theorize, I would say that it's most likely jealousy that's tainting any possible friendship with her. You have everything that she wants: a clan and the attention of Tsunade."

Hinata leaned against him with a sigh. "Jealousy. It's so strange to think that someone could be jealous of me. I'm not anything that special."

Itachi chuckled and squeezed her shoulder. "I wouldn't say that. Your skill in medical ninjutsu has certainly impressed me. You engineered a medical miracle that's changed the course of my life," he said matter-of-factly. "You're a remarkable woman, Hyuga Hinata."

Hinata stuttered, "T-thank you." To receive praise like that from the legendary Uchiha Itachi! It was almost too much for the Hyuga heiress to take in.

"It's the truth," Itachi shrugged. "Try not to let her jealousy bother you."

Looking down at her feet, she said, "I'm probably being foolish by dwelling too much on this. I pity her sometimes, but that only makes me feel like the villain. It almost feels like a crueler thing for me to do to do than anything else. I have so much more than she does; it hardly seems fair."

Itachi's gaze was intense as he said, "You have a kind and loving heart and I have no doubt that it's an uncomfortable situation to be in for you – being the source of that hate. There is no other personality trait more insidious than jealousy. It turns a person into something ugly and causes them to do things they later regret. I'm sure that you have never done the girl any harm; it's your very existence that burns her."

Hinata sighed. "You have a gift for voicing my innermost thoughts and opinions so eloquently."

Itachi quirked a half-smile. "I haven't learned how to read minds yet. It seems that we have similar values and modus operandi."

Hinata nodded. "It's so strange. You seem to understand me so well."

"It's true what they say: great minds think alike," Itachi joked.

Hinata chuckled. "And what sort of advice would your great mind give mine?"

Itachi's mock-serious suggestion was surprisingly good counsel. "The best thing for you to do would be to keep living life as you are – you have done nothing wrong. But it would probably be best if you tried to avoid too much contact with her. It can't be pleasant for either of you, I'm sure."

"A surprisingly thoughtful suggestion, Uchiha-san. Thank you," Hinata teased.

"Anytime, Hyuga-san. That's me, Uchiha-surprisingly-thoughtful-Itachi"

From behind the pair, a man's eyes followed their progress with interest. Uchiha Shisui was surprised to see Itachi walking through town arm-in-arm with Hyuga Hinata with such familiarly. He followed them into the dango shop. Itachi would probably hate him for intruding on what looked like a date but intruding on Itachi was one of Shisui's favorite hobbies. The Uchiha clan head was most likely think of some disturbingly creative way to get back at him, but it would be worth it.

Walking up to the booth they were sitting at, he smiled. "Hey Itachi, do you mind if I join you?"

Itachi's expression was not at all welcoming. Unfortunately, Hinata didn't seem to notice. She stood up from where she was sitting across from Itachi and offered Shisui her hand with a bright smile. "You're Uchiha Shisui, right? I'm Hyuga Hinata. My younger sister's in your genin cell."

Shisui grinned at her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Hinata. Your sister Hanabi is quite a talented genin."

"Why don't you join us," Hinata invited. "Hanabi speaks so highly of her jonin sensei."

Hinata slid into Itachi's side of the booth and Shisui sat across from them. Itachi couldn't help but smile as Hinata beamed at him. She was really too much.

"Hanabi was telling me that you recently returned from a B-Rank mission in the Land of Earth. She's working hard to perfect a new jutsu that you taught her."

"Which one's that?" wondered Itachi.

"The Water Bullet techniques. One of your favorites, I believe, 'tachi." Shisui waved their waiter over. "The usual," was all he said. The man winked at him and Itachi and walked away.

"The usual?" Hinata wondered.

"Yep," answered Shisui. "Itachi and I consider this place our second home."

"They even named one of their recipes after us," Itachi agreed.

"The Shisui and Itachi Special," Shisui answered.

"No, I'm pretty sure that it's called The Itachi and Shisui Special," Itachi corrected.

"We could just get a menu and settle it right now," Shisui continued.

Hinata held her right hand over her mouth as she giggled. The Hyuga signet ring glittered on her ring finger. Shisui noticed it immediately. He pointed to her finger. "Do you mind if I…"

"Not at all," Hinata agreed putting out her hand for him.

Shisui examined the ring on her slender finger. "Hanabi has one just like it."

"We're joint heiresses to the Hyuga clan," Hinata explained. "So we each have the Hyuga signet ring."

"It's beautiful," Shisui answered.

"Thank you."

Itachi crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in the booth. "So what about the other genin in your cell, Shisui? Team Shisui is also known as Team Kekkei genkai or Team dojutsu, right?"

Shisui chuckled. "And they said that Hatake Kakashi had a powerhouse team with the Uchiha heir and the Yondaime's son! I've got a Hyuga and two Uchiha. I'm spoiled rotten; though, the three sure are a handful."

"Kosho's Sharingan awakened in your last mission, right?" asked Itachi.

"Yeah. We had been ambushed by several ninjas from the Village Hidden in the Stone. Aoshiso and I got separated from Kosho and Hanabi. Hanabi was using her Jyuken on the enemy, but she was running low on chakra. She was about to be overcome by one of the ninjas when the Sharingan awoke in Kosho and he was able to hold off the ninjas until Aoshiso and I were able to fight our way through to back them up."

Hinata put a hand over her pounding heart. "Thank goodness Hanabi was alright. I didn't realize that she had been in so much danger. She didn't tell me."

"There's no need to worry about Hanabi. She can more than take care of herself. Besides, as her sensei I'm here to look after her. Kosho and Aoshiso are also extremely fond and protective of her."

Hinata was unconvinced. Itachi peered sideways at her and remarked to Shisui, "But you see it's the right of the older sibling to worry about the younger sibling. I know that Sasuke is extremely talented and can more than take care of himself, but that doesn't stop me from worrying and being protective of him."

Hinata glanced at Itachi. It was really amazing how much they had in common. He seemed to empathize with her every care so unconsciously. She hadn't really thought about it before, but it wasn't surprising. They both came from the ruling families of noble clans. Itachi understood the pressures associated with being the heir better than any of her other friends could. Ino did her best to be understanding and Sasuke tried of course, but Ino was the heiress to a vassal clan and Sasuke wasn't likely to become the clan head, so they could understand her concerns as Itachi might. He also understood what it meant to be an older sibling like none of her other friends could who were youngest or only children. Were really none of her friends the eldest? Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Naruto, Shino, Neji, Rock Lee and TenTen were all only children. Kiba and Sasuke were the youngest. In recent years, Neji had taken on the role of her unofficial big brother; however, with Main House and Branch House differences, it wasn't quite the same as it was with her and Hanabi or as she imagined with Itachi and Sasuke. The similarities between her and the older Uchiha brother were really astonishing.

She turned back to Shisui who was staring at her. His stare was intense, like he was looking through her and into the deepest recesses of her soul. Itachi and Sasuke sometimes had that look too. Maybe it was a trait of the Uchiha clan; though, she sometimes saw her father and Neji with that look also.

The waiter walked up their table with a plate of dango. There was more than enough for the three of them. "Thank you," said Hinata pleasantly.

"Hyuga-san, Itachi-san, Shisui-san," said the waiter with a polite nod before leaving the table.

"Try one, Hinata," said Itachi, talking a skewer from the plate with three dango on it.

Hinata picked up a skewer as well and tried one. She licked her lips. They were delicious.

She rested her head in one hand. "It seems so strange to me that the Uchiha clan has to awaken their kekkei genkai. Members of the Hyuga clan are born with their Byakugan; though, it takes intense training to fully learn how to utilize it properly."

"It's the same with the Sharingan. After it's awakened, it still requires intense training to use it fully," said Shisui around his dango.

"But it can only be awakened under intense stress or emotion," said Hinata. "It's quite a burden to bear for the Uchiha clan. Only with great stress can you awaken your greatest weapon."

Itachi and Shisui turned to stare at her curiously. Her pale crystal eyes held such empathy in them. She glanced up at them and hesitated before asking a question, "I hope you don't think I'm being impertinent or prying into your clan's secrets. But there's something I've been dying to know. Can you tell me about the Mangekyo Sharingan?"

"How do you know about that?" Shisui wondered, putting down his skewer.

Hinata glanced at Itachi awkwardly. Itachi said, "Hinata treated me at the hospital last week for complications from overuse of the Mangekyo Sharingan."

Shisui frowned in confusion. He turned to Hinata and answered her question. "Well, not many people in the Uchiha clan are able to awaken it.I think in our entire history you'd only need one hand to count the number of clansmen who were able to awaken it. It's the most powerful weapon that an Uchiha can possess; however, it comes at a terrible price."

She leaned in eagerly, complete enthralled by his words. "What price?"

"Pain and suffering. The Mangekyō Sharingan is acquired through witnessing the death of the person closest to you. You need to feel the pain and devastation of this loss. You need to suffer before you can awaken this powerful weapon. Not only that, excessive use of the Mangekyō Sharingan has a deteriorative effect on the welder's eyesight."

Hinata stared at him in shocked silence for a good minute before she said quietly, "It sounds more like a curse than a blessing for the Uchiha clan."

"A curse to our enemies," countered Itachi.

Hinata smiled sadly at Itachi. "That too." Turning to Shisui she asked, "You said that you can count on one hand the clansmen who awakened this power. Who are they?"

"One of them technically isn't in the Uchiha clan," Itachi began.

"It wouldn't happen to be Hatake Kakashi, would it?" wondered Hinata.

"Clever girl," answered Shisui. "The first people of the Uchiha clan to awaken this power were Uchiha Madara and his brother Izuna. They wished to expedite the process, so they murdered their best friends."

"That's…that's…" Hinata stuttered. "That's terrible… and the last one?"

"Yours truly," answered Shisui.

"You? You have the Mangekyo Sharingan? I didn't know that. If you had used it anywhere near Hanabi, she would have noticed. She doesn't do anything anymore but train and tell me about her genin cell."

Shisui chuckled. "I use it sparingly. I don't want to take the risk. I know that if it's used too excessively the wielder will go blind. The only way to procure Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan is to take the eyes of one's sibling."

"Take the eyes?" Hinata looked disturbed.

"Yes," replied Shisui seriously.

Hinata looked at Itachi with horror. He looked hurt under her stare. "You must know that I would never take Sasuke's eyes. I figured after I died, I would offer mine to Sasuke."

Shisui wrinkled his nose at Itachi, though he didn't seem surprised by this revelation. No doubt this was a conversation that the two friends had already. "You do realize how creepy that sounds."

Itachi grumbled.

"Itachi is the master of macabre birthday presents. It would be best if you don't tell him when your birthday is," Shisui teased.

Hinata didn't know how to respond to that, she merely gaped.

"But what you don't know, Shisui," remarked Itachi smugly, "is that Hinata is able to cure the damage that the Mangekyo Sharingan causes to one's eyesight. Mine is almost totally restored."

"What!" gaped Shisui. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"I wish you would stop doing that. What will people think when they keep seeing you giving me the middle finger?"

"Has she cured you of your idiocy as well?"

"Now that would be a true medical miracle," Itachi quipped. The two friends laughed.

"If that's true, maybe I will start to use the Mangekyo Sharingan more often. My genin cell is becoming so jaded. I would be nice to use another trick up my sleeve to impress them."

"That's kinda pathetic, Shisui. You're willing to risk your heath and eyesight to impressive a couple of genin," teased Itachi.

"Look who's talking Uchiha-I-signed-a-seeing-eye-dog-summoning-contact-Itachi."

"I just go by Uchiha Itachi now."

"Now wait just a minute," started Hinata. "The medical procedure is extremely dangerous and rather invasive."

Shisui raised an eyebrow when he noticed Itachi's lecherous grin. Itachi was thinking about when Hinata had performed the check-up for him at the hospital. "I didn't think it was so bad," Itachi answered.

Hinata blushed crimson and stuttered, "S-Sure, you were awake for the examination, but I had you heavily sedated when I actually performed the procedure…. It's extremely dangerous."

"It can't be too bad," Itachi shrugged.

Hinata's widened her eyes and turned to face him, poking him in the chest with her dango skewer. "Itachi! I had to slice through the microscopic chakra clots behind your eyes. If I missed in the slightest, you could have been….that is….you…you could have been blind or a vegetable or…"

"What?" wondered Itachi. He didn't realize how much skill was required for the operation. He'd have to be more careful about his medical charts. He knew that he had authorized experimental procedures in the off chance that a cure could be found for his illness, but he didn't realize quite how dangerous and experimental the procedures were.

"Are you alright, Itachi? You look really pale," asked Shisui with concern.

"Ugh," was the only reply, his dango skewer forgotten in his distress.

"Are you sure you want to recommend the Mangekyo Sharingan so highly now, 'tachi?" Shisui teased, taking another dango skewer from the plate. "I wonder what the success rate of Hinata's procedure is."

"Well I'm two for two so far," said Hinata. "But I don't want to have to perform the surgery with too much regularity."

"Two for two?" wondered Itachi. "Kakashi's team is back from their mission?"

"Yeah," said Hinata. "They just got back a couple hours ago."

"There you are!" yelled an annoyed voice from the doorway.

Three genin walked up to their table. They were dirty and covered with scratches. The dark haired boy in the center held a struggling cat in his hands as far away from himself as he could. The boy's spiky black hair was standing up in messy spikes and his dark eyes were furious. The cat in the boy's arms was hissing and spitting intensely. The girl with her dark brown hair twisted into a bun at the back of her head stood to the boy's left with her arms crossed over her chest. Her pale Hyuga eyes were icy. On the boy's right, a second boy stood. He looked a great deal like the first. He had the same dark eyes, though his hair was brown rather black and had a wave to it. This third genin was the first one to speak. "Shisui sensei, we've been running around being terrorized by this terrible cat all day and you're sitting here eating dango and chatting up some hot kunoichi! It's not fair! Our talents are being wasted!"

The female genin deadpanned, "That's my sister, Aoshiso."

"Really?" wondered Uchiha Aoshiso. "Can you introduce us?"

Hanabi and the boy holding the cat both rolled their eyes. Apparently this was a common occurrence, their other teammate embarrassing them.

Shisui chuckled at his genin cell and slid further into the bench to make room. "Why don't you three join us, I can order more dango. My treat."

"You're the best, Shisui sensei!" said Aoshiso sliding in next to Shisui.

Hanabi shrugged before sliding in next to her sister. Hinata slid closer to Itachi before giving her little sister a hug. "Rough day, Hanabi?"

"You have no idea, Hina," Hanabi replied heavily.

The third boy didn't move. He still held the cat in his hands. "What am I supposed to do with Tiger here?"

"Right," answered Shisui. He turned to the cat. It stared hissing and struggling anew. However, under Shisui's gaze, it calmed and then fell asleep. "I'm surprised you three didn't think to use a genjutsu on him."

"Wouldn't that be considered animal cruelty?" drawled Kosho.

"Er," wondered Shisui. "Just give me the damned thing."

Kosho slid in next to Aoshiso, handing the sleeping cat to Shisui. Shisui sat the cat on the corner of the table, before peering at Itachi. "Do you think cats are allowed here?"

Itachi smirked. "The owners love us. We could probably get away with murder in this place."

"Hm," Shisui answered. "Well then you can explain the situation to our waiter. He's on his way over."

Hinata giggled. Sure enough, their waiter walked up to the table with an eyebrow raised. Itachi cleared his throat. "I hope you don't mind if we keep this cat on the table. It won't be any trouble."

The waiter had a pained expression on his face. "It's no trouble at all, Itachi-san. Can I get you anything else?"

"Another plate of dango, please," Shisui said.

The waiter nodded and walked away. Shisui turned to Itachi. "You'll have to be sure to give him an especially large tip, Itachi."

Itachi smirked slyly. "I though you said that this was your treat, Shisui."

Shisui grumbled quietly. "I can't believe I just got conned into paying for Itachi and his date."

Aoshino, never one to be shy, took the last dango skewer from the plate and said, "I cannot tell you how humiliating it is going back to D-Rank missions after being away on an exciting B-Rank mission."

"Tell me about it," Hanabi agreed.

Aoshino waved his dango skewer around as he warmed to his argument. "There are bandits terrorizing innocent travelers and S-rank missing-nin running around free and the Hokage has his best team chasing cats. Chasing cats!"

Hanabi quirked an eyebrow before countering, "I don't think Jiraiya would be assigning genin teams to chase after S-Rank missing nins."

"Come on, Hanabi! Team Dojutsu could take out a lousy missing-nin, right, Kosho?"

"Hanabi and I could probably take one out, though I don't know about you, Aoshino. Besides, how could you be in Team Dojutsu when you don't even have a dojutsu," Kosho countered.

"My Sharingan just hasn't awoken yet. When it does, I'll be more than a match for you or anyone!"

"You wish," taunted Kosho.

Hanabi sighed heavily. She had heard this conversation countless times since she had returned from the Land of Earth with her team.

The waiter returned with another plate of dango and placed it in the middle of the table, as far away from the sleeping cat as he was able.

* * *

"Do you mind if I come in?" Ino asked.

"Not at all," Shikamaru replied. He quirked an eyebrow. "Do you mind if I leave?"

Ino frowned at him. "I'm sorry for snapping at you at the hospital, but I stand by what I said."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes but let her in. After making ANBU, he decided that it was too troublesome to continue living at home with his troublesome mother and had decided to rent out a small studio in downtown Konoha. His ANBU pay and commissions from jonin missions was more than enough to pay rent and other creature comforts.

Ino followed him inside and immediately moved to the small kitchenette. The studio was small, but comfortable. His bed took up most the space in the main room. It was flush up against the wall to leave space for the lumpy yellow couch against the other wall. The kitchenette was small but had all the necessary appliances. He hated cleaning, so the place usually had clothes all over the floor and piles of dishes in the sink.

Whenever Ino would come over, she would scold him before doing the dishes. She filled up the sink with water and dish soap and began putting plates in to soak. Rummaging around under the sink, she called over her shoulder, "Do you still have that pack of new sponges that I bought last time?"

Shikamaru walked into the kitchen and picked up the towel hanging off the bar on the outside of the oven. Leaning against the oven he said, "They should still be down there."

Running the water and scrubbing the first plate in the sink, Ino said, "So are you feeling better? Drinking plenty of water?"

"Just as the doctor ordered," Shikamaru replied, accepting the first plate that Ino had cleaned.

"I met Hinata for tea yesterday and she was telling me about some trouble that she was having with the Hyuga clan. They're so hard on her. It's nowhere near as stressful being the Yamanaka heir or the Nara heir compared to being the Hyuga heir."

"It's because we're the heirs to vassal clans and Hinata's the heir to a noble clan like Sasuke and Choji and Shino."

"I suppose you're right." She handed him another plate. "She was telling me that the Hyuga clan has been pressuring her into a marriage with a silk baron. Hato Okami from Kenkaji. Can you imagine?"

Shikamaru reached over her shoulder to put away the plate. He stood perhaps a bit closer than was necessary. She shivered when he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned his chin on her shoulder. "Noble clans have rules that we don't have to worry about." He laid a soft kiss on her neck. "We have more choice about who we're allowed to marry."

"Sh-Shika?"

"Yes?"

"I thought that we agreed we wouldn't do this anymore," Ino said. She dropped the bowl she had been washing back into the sink.

"I didn't agree to anything," Shikamaru said.

He flipped her around and pushed her against the sink. Holding her shoulders in a vice like grip, he pulled her to him and captured her lips in a furious kiss. She tried in vain to push him away, but eventually gave in to the magic of his touch. It was so easy to slip back into the familiar passion. She gripped his arms tightly as she leaned into his embrace, her soapy hands soaking through the fabric of his sleeves.

His hands slid down to grip her hips as he lifted her on top of the counter. Her back hit against the cabinets. When he grabbed one of her legs to wrap it around him, she shifted to do the same with the other. The heels of her sandals dug into his back, but he didn't seem to care in the slightest. She let out a little moan at the feel of one of his hands dancing up her thigh from under her skirt. Logic began to kick in again within her lust filled brain. Kami, that little sneak, thinking he could seduce her like this again.

"Shika," she gasped out. "Stop it. I told you that I didn't want to do this anymore." He pulled away, tugging her lower lip teasingly. An amused smile was on his lips. She slapped away the hand from under her skirt and unwrapped her legs from around his waist. He didn't step away from his position between her legs. "I wanted to talk to you about Hinata. She's really in a bind. We could use your brain for all this."

"And what do I get in return?" his hand smoothed over her hip meaningfully.

"Don't be gross, Shikamaru!" she growled. "I'm not going to pay you in sexual favors!"

Shikamaru laughed loudly. "You're so easy to wind up."

"This is serious, Shikamaru. Will you help?"

Shikamaru shook his head and said, "No. Not going to help."

Ino scowled. "And why not? Because I'm not going to sleep with you? You're repulsive!"

"You're not helping your case," he said. He stepped back from her to lean against the wall.

"You helped me out when I was in the same situation with my arranged marriage to Fu."

Shikamaru crossed his arms over his chest. "Well that was different."

Ino threw up her hands in exasperation. "How is it any different? Hinata's your friend too."

"I don't have any personal stake in this matter. With your arranged marriage, I did."

"What's that supposed to mean?" wondered Ino.

"Kami, Ino, you're so blind."

"I still don't see why you refuse to help. You have no reason not to except for the fact you want to be difficult."

"The reason is that it's not proper for us, the heirs of the Nara and Yamanaka clans to get involved in the affairs of another clan. If the Hyuga clan elders found out, it could put our clans in danger."

"But you and Choji both got involved with my arranged marriage. How is this any different? Yamanaka, Nara and Akimichi or Yamanaka, Nara and Hyuga?"

"It's very different. Our clans owe fealty to the Akimichi clan. The Yamanaka, Nara and Akimichi are tightly entwined, so we can interfere with each other's affairs. It's not the same with the Hyuga clan."

"But-"

"And if the Yamanaka and Nara clans get involved, the Akimichi clan inevitably gets pulled it. We would be pitting two of the noble clans against each other. That would cause internal instability for Konoha or even civil war."

Ino jumped off the counter. "Civil war? Over Hinata's marriage? I was going to ask Kiba, Shino and Sasuke if they wanted to get involved too-"

"Kami, Ino, are you trying to pit all the noble clans against the Hyuga? Inuzuka, Aburame and Uchiha? Are you mad?"

Ino waved her hands in denial. "Not _against_ the Hyuga, I'm just trying to help Hinata get out of a marriage to an odious nobleman she doesn't like."

Shikamaru snorted. "Do you even know who this man is?"

Ino crossed her arms over her chest. "I think he's from the village of Kenkaji? I've never heard of him. The Hyuga are already rich, I don't see why they have to marry Hinata off to some slimy silk baron."

"You're talking about Hato Kaba and Okami. Okami is next in line to be the daimyo. You're going to be pitting the noble clans against each other and the daimyo. Civil war."

Ino was taken aback for a minute. "But how can he be next in line to be the daimyo? The daimyo has a daughter, doesn't he? Wouldn't she be the next daimyo?"

Shikamaru sighed and put a hand over his eyes. "Only a man can be the daimyo. The current daimyo has a daughter, but because she's a woman, so she can't inherit the throne. However, the current daimyo has an older sister. She can't inherit the throne, but her son can. He is the only male descendent of their former daimyo, his grandfather, so he is next in line for the throne. If the current daimyo's daughter has a son before her father dies, her son will inherit the throne. Otherwise the throne will pass through Okami's sons."

Ino's eyes widened, "I didn't realize that. So Hinata's oldest son could be the daimyo if she marries this man?"

"Yes."

"Unless the current daimyo's daughter has a son."

"Yes," repeated Shikamaru. "But the daimyo's daughter is very young. I think she's only ten years old; she won't be eligible to be married for at least eight years. Then she'd need to have a son before her father dies. Theoretically, it's possible that her son might be daimyo. It depends on how long her father lives."

Ino sighed unhappily. "So you won't help Hinata?"

"No."

"And you're going to try to prevent me from getting the others to help me."

"Yes."

"But, Shikamaru-"

"Ino, you shouldn't get involved either. You'll only get yourself in trouble if you do. The Hyuga clan and the daimyo's heir are dangerous people to try to interfere with. Besides, it's none of our business. Hinata's your friend and it's nice that you want to help her out, but this is something that she needs to do alone."

"Fine," muttered Ino, storming out of the apartment.

* * *

Walking into the small interrogation room, Inuzuka Hana tossed the file onto the small table in the center of the room. "I'm surprised to see you back so soon," the detective said, sitting down across from Sasuke.

"Your comment last week about the names not adding up got me thinking. What if it was a political assassination?" Sasuke slid the file across the table to flip it open. He was unsurprised to see the same six names.

All of the deceased were involved in the Uchiha-Hyuga marriage treaty in some capacity. Fugaku signed as the Head of the Clan and the other four clansmen were witnesses. Danzo was a witness on the behalf of the Hokage. After the accident the only people aware of the treaty were the Hokage and four members of the Hyuga clan.

The Hokage was dead now too. Sasuke knew that it was his student Orochimaru who had been responsible for that particular assassination. However, it did little to refute the fact that only the members of the Hyuga clan were still aware of the treaty.

"Political assassination?" asked Hana. She glanced at the camera on the wall and stood up. "One second, Sasuke. I think the camera might still be on. I'm going to turn it off."

She closed the door quietly behind her. Sasuke sat back in the chair and mused about the mission he had just gone on. It was strange that the Third Hokage had commissioned that particular mission so many years ago. Did he have an inclination of foul play on the Hyuga side? Why else would he have an ANBU team collect that scroll? It was just chance that Sasuke was assigned to the team and that Sasuke had accidentally opened it, right?

Hana stepped back into the room and sat down across from him. "A political assassination is a pretty serious claim. Do you think another village was conspiring to destroy the leaders of your clan? After the Hyuga incident, the village has been more vigilant. I would be very surprised if that was what happened."

Sasuke leaned forward. "I'm thinking more along the lines of an internal political assassination."

"Internal?" whispered Hana. "You'll have to be extremely careful voicing these thoughts aloud."

"Is that why you turned off the camera?" Sasuke wondered.

Hana glanced at the small window set into the door of the room. "I also locked the door to the room on the other side of the one-way mirror. Can't be too careful."

Sasuke looked at her curiously. "Alright. I'm wondering if another clan in Konoha wanted to kill the leaders of the Uchiha clan. It would be paralyzing to the clan, because the heir was a thirteen year old boy."

Hana nodded. "Though, your brother Itachi probably couldn't be considered a normal thirteen year old boy. He was more skilled than many ninja twice his age. We were in the same class at the academy for a year before he skipped a bunch of grades and then made genin."

"He made chunin at eight, what class were you together in at the academy?" wondered Sasuke.

"Preschool," Hana chuckled. "When we were both four."

"Have you thought about the fact this might have been a political assassination?" wondered Sasuke.

Hana whispered, "That was actually my original theory on the case. If it was an assassination, it wasn't a mission order. The Hokage and his assistant keep us in the loop about those, so we're able to close cases that might be related to shinobi missions. This was either an assassination within the Uchiha clan or an assassination by another clan. I'm not sure why Danzo was there, but he was most likely involved. His presence alone makes everything more suspicious in my eyes."

"I've heard that he was a bit of an unscrupulous bastard."

"He was," said Hana. "If anyone in the village might have been embroiled in a political scandal, it would have been Danzo. He was a power hungry scoundrel who liked to operate within the shadows. This screams Danzo."

"I'll have to research Danzo's involvement more closely," said Sasuke. Looking at the woman curiously, Sasuke asked, "If you believed that it could have been a political assassination, why didn't you pursue it further?"

Hana looked down at her hands. "I spoke with the Hokage about it, but he didn't think that there was any cause for concern. I'm a member of a very small and not very influential clan; it would be too dangerous for me to get involved in something like this. I decided to cut my losses."

"I'm the heir to one of the noble clans. I can probably get away with more snooping. I'll let you know if I find out anything interesting."

"Thanks," said Hana smiling. "Oh, did you have any breakthroughs with your chakra transfer theory? I wonder if that might have been how the assassination was handled. Our sensor was a very talented member of the Hyuga clan, but he might have missed something."

"Or he might have been involved," said Sasuke after a beat. "You said that Sora Hyuga died in a mission soon after. He could have been silenced by the perpetrator of my father's assassination."

"A member of the Hyuga clan? That's a serious accusation. Be careful, Sasuke," she said again.

* * *

Sasuke knew that he needed to speak with his brother after getting back from his mission. Itachi's apartment was usually the first place that he went after returning to Konoha – after the Hokage Tower and Hospital of course. However, he and his brother had not parted ways under the most amicable of circumstances.

Sasuke could distinctly remember yelling at his brother and then storming out of the apartment. He might have even kicked over that coffee table, which was a present from Shisui. His brother had an uncanny tendency to know exactly what was going on in all parts of Konoha at any time, so he would know that Sasuke had gotten back from his mission this morning. He would also know that Sasuke hadn't been badly injured and hadn't had a good reason to be avoiding him for so many hours.

Itachi would assume that Sasuke was still upset about the revelation of the Uchiha coup d'etat. It was a legitimate conclusion – Sasuke was still bitter about it. However, he was more upset at his father for not being the upstanding and noble shinobi that Sasuke had always assumed he was than at his brother for telling him the truth of the coup.

The true reason for Sasuke's anger at his brother was the treaty that he had discovered that morning. The rest of the day had passed like a blur: getting his shoulder fixed, wrapping his arms around Hinata at the hospital, Sakura's hissy fit, reading those familiar names again on the police files. But he wished that the memory of that treaty would just blur out of his mind as well. It even mentioned children, Hinata having his brother's children! Something in his chest tightened uncomfortably at the thought.

_On her eighteenth birthday, Hyuga Hinata, the heiress of the Hyuga Clan, will be wed to Uchiha Itachi, the heir of the Uchiha Clan._

Her eighteenth birthday was at the end of December. There wasn't much time before the two would be married. But why did no one else seem to know about this treaty? Was it another secret that mother and Itachi were keeping from him or was his clan truly ignorant of it?

The twinkling lights on the metal fence had already been turned on at the Senbei shop. The dinner crowd had already started to gather and the numerous conversations blended together in the soft nighttime air. He noticed that Uchiha Kagami was there that night with his son and grandson. The always hospitable Uchiha Teyaki and Uruchi were standing next to their table to great them. Being an elder of the Uchiha clan and a member of the Konoha small council, the old man always commanded a certain amount of respect.

Kagami looked up at Sasuke as the Uchiha heir walked up to the small door to the left of restaurant which led to the second floor and Itachi's apartment. Kagami nodded his head at Sasuke as a sign of respect. Noticing the motion, Teyaki glanced over in Sasuke's direction. The restaurant owner gave a bright smile and a wave. Sitting next to his father, Uchiha Masaru's eyes were icy and Uchiha Kosho's eyes were curious. Sasuke smiled and waved back.

The staircase seemed shorter than usual as Sasuke walked up to the second floor apartment. His ninja sandals seemed louder than usual as they echoed on the wooden steps. The hall seemed darker than usual as he stood outside his brother's apartment door and braced himself to knock.

The noise of the metal hinge against the small Uchiha insignia on the door echoed through his empty chest as it filled the entranceway. Never before had he felt such a feeling of fear and anxiety when going to his brother's apartment. He felt a small twinge of shame when he thought that it was jealousy that was making him act so strange today. He hoped that Itachi wouldn't be able to sniff out the true reason for Sasuke's distress.

"One second, Sasuke," said his brother from inside. "I'll be right there." The door swung open after a beat and Sasuke faced his brother in the doorway. "Hi," said Itachi after a beat. "Would you like to come in?"

Sasuke felt a twinge of regret at the tense look on his brother's face and the strangely formal way that Itachi invited him in. Before Sasuke could realize what had happened, he blurted out, "I'm sorry for yelling at you and storming out like that before my mission."

A look of relief flashed across his brother's eyes before Itachi gave him a small smile and said, "That's quite alright. I'm sorry for keeping it from you for so long. You had a right to know."

Itachi stepped back from the door to let his brother enter the apartment. Sasuke followed him inside. Walking into the kitchen, Sasuke grabbed a bottle of sake and two cups from his brother's small stash on top of the refrigerator. Leaning against the counter, Itachi watched his younger brother with curious eyes.

The floor plan of Itachi's apartment was very pleasing. Itachi had the whole inside ripped out about a year back and remodeled in a more modern style. It was an open floor plan, so that one could look out into the dining and living room from the kitchen. Itachi faced into the kitchen from his position against the breakfast bar and Sasuke looked out into the rest of the apartment from where he stood near the refrigerator. Itachi's bedroom and office were down a small hallway off the living room.

Sasuke uncapped the bottle and poured two cups. "I've been thinking about what you told me about father's involvement in the coup d'etat. And I've come to believe that what you told me was the truth."

Itachi betrayed no emotion in his eyes as he accepted the cup from Sasuke. "What changed your mind?"

"I reconsidered the things that I knew about father and the things that I had seen when I was a child and I came to realize that what you said could very well be true. I also spoke with Kagami and he confirmed the story."

"Great-uncle Kagami?"

"Yes. I figured he would know about it if he was appointed to the Konoha small council around the same time."

"Right," said Itachi. He tipped back the sake and held his glass out for a top off. Sasuke poured another glass before leaning back against the refrigerator. "So you encountered two Akatsuki members on your mission too?" asked Itachi. "Bad luck."

"Yeah," said Sasuke. "Goes with the territory I suppose, considering that my idiot best friend has a tailed demon sealed inside him."

"Point taken." Itachi chuckled. "Were they very strong?"

"The one named Kakuzu was like something out of a nightmare. The younger one, Mizore Shinku, wasn't too strong. I probably could have taken him down on my own."

Itachi looked at the sake swishing around in his cup before tossing it back. "Jiraiya told me something about that Kakuzu character incorporating additional hearts into his body so that he could use different elemental affinities."

"Terrifying, right?" commented Sasuke.

"Where on earth does the Akatsuki find these people?" wondered Itachi. "Immortal priests sacrificing people to their savage gods, shinobi that look more like sharks than humans, shinobi that steal and use other people's hearts..."

"I guess they need monsters to fight monsters."

"I suppose," said Itachi.

"Just don't tell Naruto that I called him a monster," said Sasuke quickly. "He's got monstrous skills, not a monstrous personality."

Itachi smiled wryly. "It's always good to make the distinction. Many people can't seem to do the same."

"Yeah," said Sasuke. He looked out into Itachi's apartment absently. Noting a huge stack of letters on the coffee table that he had kicked over a couple days ago, Sasuke asked, "What's with all those letters?"

Twisting around to glance into the living room, Itachi said, "Those? Mother dropped off the letters she's received from noblewomen looking to ally themselves with the Uchiha clan through marriage. With the demands that the clan brought up in our last meeting, I thought it couldn't hurt to read through them."

Itachi didn't tell Sasuke the real reason that he had begun reading through the letters. He had told his mother that he would read through them, but he hadn't taken the task seriously. After talking with Hinata about Hato Okami, Itachi had felt a horrible sting of hopeless and wanted to immerse himself in the odious task of wading through the letters from these noblewomen.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

Itachi looked back at the smirk that his brother was trying to hide. "You know about these letters?"

Sasuke couldn't hide his smirk anymore. "I catch mother sitting at the kitchen table with a stack of them sometimes. She's usually drinking a cup of coffee as she reads them and laughing to herself." Sasuke laughed at the sour expression on Itachi's face.

"Maybe not a cup of coffee, but a cup of sake would be nice to get through some of the worse ones."

Sasuke straightened from his position against the refrigerator and walked over to the stack of papers. "So are you sorting them into yes's, maybe's and no's?"

Itachi followed his brother into the living room. "That's the plan. I think I've got something along the lines of zero yes's, one maybe and fifteen no's. Mother also said that I have to write replies to all of them. I feel like she's punishing me or something. This is perhaps the most odious thing I've ever had to do."

Sasuke looked surprised. "You're writing out each response separately?"

Itachi sat down on the couch and looked down at all the letters. "Yeah. Why? Did mother do it differently?"

Sasuke sat next to him and picked up one of the responses that Itachi had written. "You're not good at this stuff are you? Mother uses a form letter and then just changes the name at the top – much easier that way. She writes the form letter and then uses a jutsu to make however many duplicates she needs."

"Why didn't I think of that?"

"Do you need some help reading through these?" wondered Sasuke.

Itachi looked at his brother with relief. "Definitely."

"Then we're definitely going to need more sake," said Sasuke.

"Maybe I'll send a crow to Shisui and tell him to bring over some more sake."

"Tell him it's an emergency."

* * *

"Whoa, this one has pictures," yelled Sasuke, holding the letter at arm's length like it had burned him.

"Pictures?" asked Itachi, looking up from the letter he was reading. "That's two shots." He handed Sasuke the sake bottle absently.

"Any good?" wondered Shisui.

"Trust me; you don't want to see them. I wish that I could un-see them."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "That bad?"

"I don't know why she thought sending you naked pictures of herself would help her case," Sasuke deadpanned.

"Whoa," said Itachi.

"My thoughts exactly." Sasuke brought the letter closer to him and blew a little plume of smoke onto it. He watched the expensive parchment surrender to the flames with some satisfaction. "I think this woman deserves a more personalized response than just our form letter."

"I'm not going to send her any naked pictures of myself, if that's what you're suggesting, Sasuke," his brother quipped. Shisui choked on the sip of sake that he had taken.

"Let's keep this one from mother," said Sasuke.

Itachi smirked as he read another one, "I don't know, I think mother might be amused by the situation."

"Kami, Aunt Mikoto frightens me sometimes," said Shisui.

Itachi glanced over at Sasuke taking his second shot. He smiled evilly, "So how many shots do we have to take when we find _naked_ pictures? Two somehow doesn't seem sufficient."

Shisui gave Sasuke an identical evil grin. "I agree, 'tachi. Two is not enough."

Sasuke looked at the two men with a peeved expression. "Come on guys, haven't I suffered enough?"

"I think four shots would be sufficient," said Itachi.

"Four seems like a good compromise," agreed Shisui.

"You both suck," Sasuke growled, pouring himself another shot.

Shisui opened another letter to peruse its contents. "I haven't seen any letters from any Konoha kunoichi."

Itachi nodded sagely, "I wouldn't be surprised if mother just burns those."

"They're probably would be a lot of naked pictures in those ones," agreed Shisui. Sasuke choked on his fourth shot. "Would the clan find a match with one of them agreeable?" Shisui continued.

Itachi paused in thought.

Sasuke interjected. "If she was from a respectable clan and was a powerful enough ninja, I don't see why not. There aren't too many kunoichi from notable clans who are very strong. She would have to be a Tokubetsu Jonin at the very least. I suppose there's Yamanaka Ino, if you're into blondes."

Shisui couldn't stop his loud laugh. "Yamanaka Ino?"

Sasuke frowned. "What so funny? She's a pretty strong kunoichi. She's been in ANBU for as long as I have."

Itachi chuckled and said, "She's a lovely girl, no doubt; however, Shikamaru would hate me forever if I married her. I couldn't do that to him. Besides, I doubt that the Uchiha clan would be happy with me marrying a kunoichi whose clan is only a vassal to a noble clan. They'd want someone with a more impressive pedigree."

Shisui interrupted his friend. "Ino is hilarious. Her talents as a ninja are very impressive. She was a member of my ANBU team before I took on those brats in my genin cell. She's developed some very interesting jutsu. I was working with her a couple months ago to develop a jutsu that combines my Kotoamatsukami with her Shintenshin no Jutsu."

"The thought of you and Ino Yamanaka doing anything together sort of terrifies me, Shisui," Sasuke said.

"I don't know whether to be flattered or upset by that remark," quipped Shisui, who wiggled his eyebrows. "At least we all know that any _collaboration_ between the two of us would probably be pretty hot."

Itachi gave his friend a strange expression. "You better not let Nara Shikamaru hear you talking about Ino that way. He gave Gemna a black eye when he made a similar comment once."

"Point taken," said Shisui. "Shikamaru's a pretty okay guy, I suppose, so he might be deserving enough."

Itachi nodded sagely. "Shikamaru and the Yamanaka girl complement each other very well, but I don't think I would be happy with a woman that skilled in the kunoichi arts of seduction," countered Itachi.

"A bit of a scary thought," agreed Sasuke.

Shisui's grin was lecherous, "I think that I could be okay with my girl having that sort of skill set."

"Stop creeping out my impressionable younger brother, Shisui," said Itachi.

Sasuke looked peeved.

Changing the subject, Itachi said, "So did you have any Konoha kunoichi in mind, Shisui, when you brought that up the lack of Konoha letters?"

Shisui cleared his throat. "You seemed pretty cozy with Hyuga Hinata today. I wonder if the Hyuga clan would let you two marry."

Itachi raised an eyebrow regally. "Hinata would be a great addition to the Uchiha clan; however, I was recently made aware that her clan is entertaining nobleman from out of town. There is a distinct possibility that the Hyuga clan will enter into a marriage treaty with the Hato family of Kenkaji."

"Where did you hear that from?" wondered Sasuke. "I didn't know that."

"I heard it today from Hyuga Hinata herself," said Itachi.

"Before or after dango?" wondered Shisui.

"Wait, what's this about dango?" asked Sasuke in annoyance.

Shisui cleared his throat and said, "Hinata enjoyed the Shisui and Itachi special today."

"I'm pretty sure that it's called the Itachi and Shisui special," corrected Itachi.

"WHAT!"

"No need to get your panties in a twist, Sasuke," Itachi drawled. "It's the name of a dango dish, not a threesome."

"Though if she was interested in a threesome, I doubt that I could say no," Shisui quipped. "If only she could get her friend Ino involved too."

"Sometimes I hate you two so much," said Sasuke.

"Well now you've hurt my feelings. And to think I might have invited you the next time. We could call it the Shisui and Itachi and Sasuke special," Shisui continued.

"No, I'm still pretty sure that it would be called the Itachi and Shisui and Sasuke special."

"Semantics," shrugged Shisui.

"Please stop," Sasuke whined. "I don't want to hear or think about this. You're just making it so much worse."

"Blushing is three shots, Sasuke" said Shisui. "Drink up, kid."

* * *

**A/N: Please review!**


	8. Chapter Seven - Three's a Crowd

**A/N: Sorry for the delay between this chapter and the last one. I've been pretty busy, and had a bit of trouble with a couple scenes in the chapter; though, it is almost 35 pages long in MS Word, so hopefully that'll help me atone somewhat for the delay. ;-)**

**Thank you to all of my lovely reviewers: NaviTheGoddess, sasukeisthebest, Shippooliver, Lecs, LeeRocks, piratequeen11, honestly blunt and two anonymous reviewers.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

**Three's a Crowd**

**a.k.a "Training session, eh? So that's what they're calling it these days."**

* * *

The crowd at Uchiha Teyaki and Uruchi's Senbei restaurant for lunch was slightly less than what Sasuke had seen the previous night for dinner. All the same, there wasn't a single table available inside. The excellent cuisine as well as Teyaki's close friendship with Sasuke had bolstered the two restaurant owners' client base immensely. The small rice cracker shop had blossomed into the most popular restaurant in the Uchiha compound; the fact that the Uchiha clan head lived in the apartment above the restaurant only seemed to make the place more popular.

It had rained last night, so the patio seating wasn't open. The soft drip-drop of water from the drenched umbrellas helped count the time as Sasuke waited for Hinata to arrive.

Leaning casually against the waist high metal fence, Sasuke inclined his head in greeting as two members of the military police passed him on their way into the restaurant. They were both members of the Uchiha clan. Sasuke sighed impatiently. Noon couldn't come soon enough. It had been ages since he and Hinata had trained together. He was really looking forward to it.

A strong gust of wind blew through the street. The awnings of the nearby stores flapped violently in the wind. Apparently the cold front from last night hadn't passed through yet. Sasuke brushed his bangs out of his eyes as they danced in the wind.

A violent thump from behind startled him badly. He whirled around, sword brandished as if to parry a blow. The commotion was only one of the large umbrellas that had been pushed over by the wind. He glanced around; glad that no one had noticed. Luckily, the street was still rather empty. Sheathing his sword and leaping over the ornate metal fence, Sasuke made a line for the fallen umbrella.

Teyaki rushed out of the store after hearing the commotion.

"Just one of the umbrellas, Teyaki," said Sasuke as he righted the umbrella with ease, waving away Teyaki's offer of help.

Teyaki looked embarrassed. "You didn't have to do that, Sasuke. This sort of work is -"

Sasuke shrugged. "Don't worry about it. It's already done anyway."

Teyaki smiled at Sasuke. "Thank you, I really appreciate it."

Sasuke nodded in response.

"I have your usual table ready. Hinata running late?"

His bangs fluttered as he let out a loud sigh. "Yeah. It's not like her."

Teyaki gave Sasuke a sly smile. "You should probably just bite the bullet and propose to the girl, Sasuke, before someone else snatches her up."

Sasuke laughed humorlessly. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Teyaki. You are a peddler of excellent senbei and _sage_ advice. "

"This where we're having lunch?" a loud voice sneered nearby. "What a rough and tumble part of town! I'm surprised that the heiress of the Hyuga clan condescends to eat at such an establishment. Kami knows I appreciate the thought of philanthropy, but this seems a bit much."

Sasuke was surprised to hear Hinata's voice answer the pompous man's pronouncement. "I must contradict you there, Hato-san. I am not '_condescending to eat here_ 'as you say. This place is a quality establishment run by two very honorable members of the Uchiha clan. In no way can my presence here be considered an act of philanthropy."

Sasuke and Teyaki both turned in surprise. Hinata had finally arrived. Teyaki gave the newcomers a tense look while Hinata gave Sasuke an apologetic glance. Sasuke could tell from the tense line of her shoulders and the set of her mouth that she was extremely uncomfortable.

"Er, Hinata," began Teyaki. "It's a pleasure to see you. Would you do me the honor of introducing me to your friend?"

"Teyaki-san, it's always a pleasure. I'd like to introduce Hato Okami of Kenkaji. He is a close friend of my family and he is doing us the honor of visiting for the month. Hato-san, may I introduce to you to Uchiha Teyaki. He is the owner of this fine restaurant."

Hato Okami strutted through the entranceway and held out a hand to Teyaki. "It's always a pleasure to meet a friend of Hinata's."

Sasuke cleared his throat loudly. From behind Okami, Hinata sent him a look that was part exasperation and part apology. Continuing the introductions, Hinata said, "Hato-san, I would also like introduce my good friend Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke, this is Hato Okami."

Okami turned his condescending gaze to Sasuke. He wiped his hand on his pant leg and held it out to Sasuke.

"A pleasure," said Sasuke. He didn't even attempt to stifle the small amount of killing intent that he was emitting. His grip was perhaps stronger than was polite.

"You have a strong grip," the other man chuckled.

Hinata cleared her throat. "I hope you don't mind that invited Okami to join us for lunch today."

"Yes," said Okami. "I was looking for things to do today and when Hinata mentioned that she planned to have lunch and then train with you, I thought it would be fun to tag along."

Sasuke's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Yes, very fun. So…_nice_ of you to join us. It's always a pleasure to meet a friend of Hinata's."

Okami's eyes flashed at hearing his words reflected back at him. "It's _nice_ to meet you, Sasuke." He turned to Teyaki and said, "A table for three then."

Teyaki smiled uneasily, clearly put off by the tense interaction between Okami and Sasuke. "Yes of course, Hato-san. I've prepared a table for two, but it would be no trouble at all to arrange a table for three."

Teyaki hurried inside the restaurant and waved his wife over. "Uruchi, do we have any open tables? I need a table for three for Sasuke's party."

Uruchi glanced at Okami before replying, "We don't have any open tables besides the one reserved for Sasuke and Hinata. The wait would be twenty minutes at least for an open table that seats four people."

"Oh," said Hinata quietly.

Huffing in annoyance, Okami said, "_Twenty_ minutes? Can't you just… get rid of the people at one of the other tables?"

Sasuke didn't even attempt to hide his mocking chuckle. "You can't be serious."

Hinata blinked away tears of frustration. "Teyaki, would it be too much trouble to add a chair to the table that we already have set up?"

"Um, I…" began Teyaki.

"Yes, let's do that," interrupted Okami.

Teyaki looked at Sasuke who shrugged and rolled his eyes. The restaurant owner said, "That sounds like a wonderful idea, Okami."

"I'll go find an extra chair in the back," said Uruchi hurrying off.

Hinata followed Teyaki towards the table, chatting lightly as they went. Okami stood at her side, adding in his own opinions where appropriate. This afforded Sasuke a moment to view this Hato Okami. The man was dressed very formally. His hakama consisted of a white tunic and scarlet pants. His haori jacket fell to his hips and was the sewn from the same scarlet silk as his pants. The kanji for fire was emblazed on the shoulder of his jacket. It must have been extremely hot wearing such an outfit in mid-July. He had pale skin, dark brown hair, and small dark eyes. His hair was pin-straight and framed his face. Sasuke was no connoisseur of male beauty, but he had to grudgingly admit that the man was not hideous.

Hinata was dressed for training. Tight black pants reached her knees and the lavender tunic was tied at her thin waist with a black cloth. Okami looked too formal standing next to her. Sasuke too was dressed for training. He wore in his ANBU fatigues; though, he had chosen to leave the arm guards and metal breastplate at home. His ANBU tattoo was very visible on his shoulder.

Hinata glanced back at Sasuke. _I'm so sorry about this. I didn't want to have to bring Okami today. _Hinata seemed to say with her wide eyes and raised eyebrows.

_It's alright. Don't worry about it_. Sasuke seemed to say with the tilt of his eyebrows. _It's no big deal. We can ditch him later when we go training._

_It might not be that easy. He's threatened to follow me around all day_. Hinata seemed to say with her pursed lips. _The council of elders thought this would be a lovely outing_.

_Luckily, there can be horrible accidents while training, especially when high level ninjas like us are involved_. Sasuke seemed to say with his slightly manic smile.

_Please don't! The council will kill me if I don't bring him back in one piece_. Hinata seemed to say with her horrified expression.

_Fine_, Sasuke seemed to say with his frown.

By the time they arrived at the table, Uruchi had already pulled a third chair up to the booth. Hinata slid into the booth against the wall as Okami did the same on the other side, leaving Sasuke the chair pulled up to the table. With a sigh, Sasuke sat down on the chair, feeling like an intruder on Hinata's lunch with this Okami person.

"So, Sasuke," began Okami. "Do you work at this restaurant?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at Hinata who looked down at her hands and was trying hard not to laugh. Clearing his throat, Sasuke replied, "Not exactly. I'm just very close friends with the owners. I'm a shinobi like Hinata."

"I see," said Okami with a nod. "I've heard of the Uchiha clan before. They have a reputation for being a bit barbaric, but the clan head, Uchiha Itachi, is very well regarded by the daimyo."

"Yes, Itachi's a wonderful leader of our clan," answered Sasuke. Of course this man would have heard of Itachi and thought that Sasuke was a waiter at a restaurant. Life was too predictable sometimes.

"Are you familiar with him? I'm thinking about requesting an audience while I'm in Konoha. My father and my uncle, the daimyo, hold Uchiha Itachi in great esteem."

"Itachi is Sasuke's older brother," said Hinata.

"Older brother, eh?" said Okami with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep," said Sasuke, popping the 'p' between his lips.

"Hinata told me that you two were planning to train after lunch. I've seen our Kenkaji ninjas train before, but I've never seen Konoha ninjas training. It should be an entertaining afternoon for me."

"Indeed," Sasuke replied.

* * *

Lunch had been an extremely awkward affair. Hinata was pleased when it was over. She had been astounded by how rude Sasuke had been throughout; though, part of it was probably her own fault for bringing Okami along. He couldn't say a single thing without insulting Sasuke. It was almost impressive.

Hinata sorely regretted taking the front entrance out of the Hyuga compound where she was likely to bump into Hyuga Kaede on the way out. Hinata had a strange propensity to do whatever the council members asked of her. She attributed it to the sheer terror she felt whenever she bumped into one of the three men. Kaede must have noticed her on her way out because he grabbed her and forced her to take Okami with her for her lunch and training with Sasuke.

"The Hatos are our esteemed guests. You will do whatever Okami asks of you, no matter how inconvenient it might seem," Kaede commanded.

Hinata was forced to comply. Her father was usually around to intervene on her behalf where the council was concerned; however, Hiashi was elsewhere that day. So Hinata was helpless to the whims of the council; she hated herself for it. She had told Ino just the other day that she was going to try to stand up for herself with the council and here she was caving in to Kaede's commands without a fight.

Ino's words from yesterday echoed in her head as she walked towards the center of town with Okami in tow. _"It wasn't easy. It was very difficult and stressful, but it was worth it in the end. Apparently part of the reason why the elders wanted to force my hand with this arranged marriage was because they thought I was soft and wouldn't be a strong leader for the clan. In confronting them about it, I forced them to finally recognize that I could be a strong leader of the Yamanaka clan. Present your intentions in front of the elders and convince them to see things your way. Nothing gained, nothing lost."_

She was a coward, pure and simple. She couldn't speak up for herself like Ino could.

The awkward trio wandered through Konoha on their way to the training fields. Hinata led them through town along the street that passed by the flower shop owned by Ino's family. Okami caught sight of the sign over the door and commanded that they stop in. The Kenkaji nobleman opened the door for Hinata and let go of it quickly as the Uchiha heir moved to enter as well. Sasuke rolled his eyes and caught the door before it slammed in his face. The fresh smell of cut flowers did little to improve his mood.

The blonde head of their friend was bent over an Ikebana arrangement. A gently curving branch sprouting light pink flowers was arranged upright in the kenzen holders of the vase. Holding a thinner flowered branch in her nimble fingers, she delicately bent it at several points to complement the slope of the main branch. She held the second branch up against the first one to determine if the angle was correct. Gentling placing the branch down on the table she looked up at them with a smile. "Welcome to Yamanaka flowers. How may I assist you this afternoon? Hi Hinata. Hi, Sasuke."

"Hi, Ino," began Hinata. "This is Hato Okami. He's the man I mentioned who's visiting my clan."

Okami strolled up to the front desk and said, "I would like to buy a flower arrangement for this lovely woman with me."

Ino smiled kindly at him. "Yes of course. We just received some beautiful red camellia yesterday. Why don't I show them to you?"

"I am not well versed in the language flowers. What do red camellia's represent?" asked Okami. "I would very much prefer red roses. I know that they represent."

Ino led him to a small bunch of red flowers. "Red camellias mean the same thing, love."

"Those orange lilies with the brown dots are very beautiful. What are those?" asked Okami.

"You have a good eye, Hato-san," complemented Ino. "Those are tiger lilies. They represent wealth. It would be an interesting gesture presenting those to a woman that you are courting."

Okami chuckled a bit, enjoying the teasingly lilt of the girl's voice as well as the sway of her hips. Reaching into one of the deep vases, Ino took out a cluster of the orange flowers. Okami held his hand on hers for perhaps a moment longer than was polite as he accepted them.

"I suppose they wouldn't be as romantic as say red roses or red camellias," continued Ino. "But there is nothing wrong with a man wishing to offer financial stability and comfort to his lover."

"You are very shrewd, Ino-chan," said Okami. "What other flowers would you recommend adding to this bouquet?"

"I think those would look very fine with some calla lilies."

Hinata paused by the pair of gardenia vases. What did gardenias mean again? A secret love? A shadow fell over her. "What on earth is this all about, Hina?" Sasuke whispered in her ear.

Reaching into the vase, Hinata plucked out one of the flowers. "I told you earlier. Hyuga Kaede of the Main House Council commanded that I take Okami with me to meet you. Next time I leave the Hyuga compound, I won't do so from the main gate."

"I guessed that already," hissed Sasuke. "What I want to know is: who is this man?"

"His family does business with my clan."

"He seems a bit too friendly for this to be merely a business transaction. He's buying you a bouquet of flowers right now. You don't think that's a bit _unusual_?"

Hinata glanced towards the front of the store where Ino was showing him the different colored lilies. He was touching her arm lightly and whispering in her ear. Ino, a kunoichi with jounin level seduction talents, was blushing prettily and running a hand through her hair as she spoke with the nobleman. Seeing Ino at work like that was always awkward, but for once Hinata was glad that the Yamanaka girl was distracting Okami so that she could have a private conversation with Sasuke.

Hinata sighed heavily. "I have a feeling that he'll be bringing forth a marriage proposal soon."

Sasuke's grip on her arm was tight enough to leave a bruise. "What do you mean? You can't be serious."

Hinata put back the gardenia in her hand slowly. "I'm afraid so. The Main House Council is very much interested in such a union. It'll increase the Hyuga clan's wealth tremendously."

"But what do you want?" asked Sasuke.

Glancing back at the nobleman who was leaning against the front counter as he paid for the bouquet, Hinata sighed in defeat. "I don't want _him_."

Sasuke released his grip on her, apparently satisfied. Ino and Okami were walking over again. The Kenkaji nobleman kissed Ino's demurely raised hand with great flourish before handing the bouquet to Hinata.

"What a lovely woman your friend Ino is," remarked Okami as they left the store. "Running a store is perhaps a bit uncouth, but practicing the art of ikebana is a noble profession for a woman. None of this kunoichi stuff. I can understand training so that you can keep your figure, Hinata, but anything otherwise is unnecessary."

Hinata didn't deem it necessary to remark that Ino was a jounin and an even more formidable kunoichi than herself.

* * *

Closing the door behind him as he entered the room with Tsunade, Jiraiya looked at the group he had gathered before him. The meeting room was tucked away in one of the upper floors of the Hokage tower. Innumerable silencing seals had been placed throughout the room to ensure their privacy. There were no windows only one door and a large oak table in the center. This was the Hokage's war room.

Jiraiya sat at the head of the table and Tsunade took her place in the empty chair to his right. Shikaku, the chief strategist sat to the Hokage's left. Inoichi, head of the intelligence department, sat next to Shikaku with his head resting in his templed fingers. Kakashi and Itachi, the captains of Jiraiya's two strongest ANBU teams sat across from him.

Clearing his throat, Jiraiya said, "The Akatsuki have made two attempts to capture Naruto within the last week. In addition, the organization has been unusually active in the last several months. At present only the eight-tails and nine-tails remain uncaptured."

Kakashi interrupted him, "What of the three-tails, four-tails and six-tails? I was unaware that they had been captured. Do we have intel on this?"

Inoichi spoke up. He sat back and folded his hands on the table. "We received intel from a genin team on a mission in Rock Country last month that the four-tails was captured by two Akatsuki members a month before they arrived in Rock Country. Unfortunately, we didn't receive any information about the Akatsuki members from the Village Hidden in the Stone."

"I was able to gather intel about the three-tails and six-tails while on a mission last week," Itachi said. "Both tailed beasts were captured three months ago by to two members of the Akatsuki, Hoshigaki Kisame and Hozuki Mangetsu. Both of these men are rogue ninjas from Kiri."

"Our information came from one of my sources who had been unreachable for several months. This explains the delay in the communication," said Jiraiya. "Considering Kiri's history and isolation, it has been extremely difficult to extract intel from that village. My source put himself at great risk to deliver this information to us."

"We also received another very useful piece of information from this source," Itachi continued. "The Akatsuki have been very active of late collecting their tailed beats; however, we believe that their focus may shift in the short term towards financial considerations. On the main island of Crescent Moon Country there will be a high stake Poker game in one month's time. The buy-in is 100 Million Ryo and the winner is expected to receive at least 1 Billion Ryo."

Jiraiya said, "Now that all of the Hidden Villages are on their guard and the Akatsuki's remaining targets are the two most power jinchuriki, the Akatsuki is gearing up for war. Up to this point their focus has been mostly guerilla and special tactics, but that may not be sufficient to capture the eight-tails and the nine-tails. We cannot let the Akatsuki win this game. With 1 Billion Ryo, they could buy themselves an army."

"What can we do? We can't afford to enter this game and we can't afford not to," said Shikaku. "Have you spoken to the Daimyo? Would he be willing to pay our entrance fee?"

"The Fire and Lightening Diamyo's have agreed to pay for spots at the table. The Lightening Daimyo will be playing himself and bringing several ninja guards with him. The Fire Diamyo has asked that we select a Leaf shinobi to play for him. Ideally I would like to have two Konoha teams at the table, but the Diamyo can only afford one. He suggested that we speak to his brother-in-law Hato Kaba, who is currently a guest of the Hyuga clan. Kaba may be willing to sponsor a second Konoha team."

"Are the other villages aware of the Akatsuki's intentions at this Poker tournament?" wondered Inoichi.

"We didn't think it wise to involve them," said Jiraiya. "Our alliances with Iwa and Kiri are fragile enough as it is without making them aware of this situation."

"I see," said Inoichi.

"Do you believe that this is a trap? Can we trust your contact, Jiraiya? I don't even know his or her name," Inoichi said. "Is it some machination schemed up by the Akatsuki so that we'll leave Naruto unprotected? If our team loses at the table, we will be giving the Akatsuki 100 million ryo. I believe that this is too great a risk. We should not send any teams to Crescent Moon Country."

"I believe that we can trust this man," said Jiraiya.

Inoichi was unconvinced. "Who is this man, Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "I can't betray his confidence."

Shikaku looked at Itachi. "You've met with him, Itachi. Do you have any insights?"

Itachi looked down at his hands. "I never saw his face. But if I had to hazard a guess, I would say that the man is Hozuki Mangetsu." Jiraiya frowned. Itachi was too perceptive sometimes.

Inoichi's chair fell back against the floor as he jumped up. Slamming his hands down on the table, he hollered, "Hozuki Mangetsu of the Hidden Mist? Hozuki Mangetsu of the Akatsuki? Jiraiya have you lost your mind? We can't trust this man! He has no allegiance to Konoha! What could we possibly have to offer him that Kiri or the Akatsuki can't? Why would he agree to work for you?"

Jiraiya looked at the agitated Head of the Intelligence Department. "Two years ago, his brother, Hozuki Suigetsu, was captured by Orochimaru. He was taken by members of the Sound Village. The Hozuki brothers are descendants of the second Mizukage and possess a kekkei genkai, which is of great interest to Orochimaru. Mangetsu went to search for him without the permission of the Mizukage, Yagura. Mangetsu was declared a missing nin."

"So he doesn't have much allegiance to Kiri, if he was just there capturing the three and the six tails," said Shikaku. "He would have had to kill Yagura to get the three tails."

"Who's the new Mizukage?" asked Inoichi. "He would have been appointed before their feudal lord was assassinated by the Akatsuki. Perhaps the Akatsuki weren't pleased with his selection."

"A woman named Mei Terumi was appointed," said Tsunade. "She's a formidable kunoichi in possession of two kekkei genkai."

"So why would Mangetsu agree to infiltrate the Akatsuki and pass information to you, Jiraiya?" asked Inoichi.

Jiraiya buffed his nails on his red haori. "He approached me looking for information about Orochimaru. We agreed to team up to try to take Orochimaru down. Mangetsu infiltrated the Akatsuki to get closer to the Snake Sannin."

"All that for his brother," Itachi murmured. "It's very noble. I probably would have done the same in his place."

Shikaku chuckled. "You and your nobility, Itachi. Just promise me that you'll never become a missing nin. I don't think Konoha could survive having you as an enemy."

Itachi laughed in return. "That's not much danger of that."

"So when are you going to team up against Orochimaru? It's been two years already that his brother's been captured. I assume that you're delaying to get as much information about the Akatsuki. Are you sure he's not a double agent?" asked Inoichi.

"No, I'm not sure," said Jiraiya. "But all of the information that he's passed us so far has been legitimate. We've had a delay because of the difficulty in tracking down Suigetsu's current location and the fact that Mangetsu has been off the radar."

"I don't like this one bit," said Inoichi. "It's too risky."

Tsunade spoke up, "Up to this point, we have only taken defensive movements against the Akatsuki. Right now, the Akatsuki are spread thin and are down two members. We should attack while they are still reeling from that loss. Here we have a chance to destroy more members of the Akatsuki and take out their financial support. At the very least, we'll gain more intel about the organization. This is an opportunity that we can't forego, regardless of the risk."

"Shikaku?" Jiraiya asked.

"This is an ideal opportunity to strike; however, we should do so cautiously. Naruto is a strong shinoibi in his own right, but we must leave him in Konoha for this mission. The remainder of Kakashi's team should stay behind as defense for him. We should send one or two of our stronger teams. I would recommend ninjas with ANBU training. An attack team and an intelligence gathering team would be best suited for this mission."

"That," said Kakashi, "And a shinobi who can play poker well."

Jiraiya nodded. "I agree with your assessment, Shikaku. The daimyo wishes for Uchiha Itachi to be on the team sent to Crescent Moon Country."

Itachi's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Did he hear about our encounter with Orochimaru and Sasori? Or is he thinking about all the money he lost to me while I was stationed with my ANBU team there two years back?"

"Probably a mixture of both," replied Jiraiya.

Kakashi looked put out. "I guess he wasn't impressed by my team taking out a member of the Akatsuki."

Shikaku snorted. "Technically that Akatsuki was taken out by his own partner."

Kakashi pouted. "My team took out Kakuzu like… four times."

"And yet, he's still running around causing trouble," countered Inoichi.

"You two are so hard to please," Kakashi muttered to himself.

"Do we know which team the Akatsuki plans to send?" asked Itachi. "At this point the known members of the Akatsuki are Orochimaru, Deidara, Kakazu, Hidan, Hoshigaki Kisame, and Hozuki Mangetsu."

"We can't say for certain," Jiraiya said. "However, because this mission requires infiltration, I wouldn't expect Kisame to be part of the team."

"Deidera's got those weird mouths on his hands and Kakuzu's stitched together like Frankenstein's monster. I doubt they would go either," commented Inoichi.

"Itachi and I will discuss the team arrangements," said Jiraiya.

* * *

Hampered by the presence of Hato Okami, Sasuke and Hinata decided to spar at one of the smaller practice fields nearer to the village as opposed to one of the larger and more remote practice fields. Ninjutsu and intense taijutsu were not forbidden at the fields nearer to the village; however, collateral damage to nearby homes and villages was taken very seriously.

About a year ago, Kiba and Naruto had a spar at one of the smaller practice fields that was near to artisan row. With those two practicing jutsu, several buildings and civilians didn't escape unscathed. After a particularly violent scolding from Jiraiya – _"but we weren't using ninjusu! It was just a casual taijutsu spar, we didn't expect there to be so much damage!" _ – and a particularly large fine from the artisan community, Kiba and Naruto learned to take their intense taijutsu spars to one of the more remote and more spacious training fields. It was an expensive way to discover that a 'casual spar' with Naruto usually resulted in changes to the landscape.

Hinata and Sasuke on the other hand would have to tone down their spar because of the presence of Hato Okami. Though Sasuke probably won't have cared one way or the other, Hinata couldn't allow the Hyuga clan's honored guest to be horribly maimed by a badly aimed Fireball jutsu. Although taking Sasuke's present mood into account, it probably would have been an intentionally, badly aimed Fireball jutsu.

Sasuke and Okami were getting along like oil and water. It had only gotten worse as the day went on. Hinata was never so happy to have the evening her shift at the hospital because it would be an excuse that she would be able to use later to escape from the pair.

The nobleman had set out a blanket that he was reclined on under the pleasant shade of a verdant elm tree. Hinata had dropped her medi-kit that she would need at the hospital on the blanket near to the man. Untying his sword from the cord around his lean hips, Sasuke rested it against the tree next to Hinata's medi-kit.

"So straight taijutsu," Sasuke repeated as he walked out into the middle of the training ground. It was an open field in the middle of the forest. A small lake glittered nearby in the afternoon sun. He stretched his right arm over his head.

Hinata looked around the training field with her hands on her hips. She was gnawing on her lip discontentedly. "I suppose we could do some ninjutsu as long as it's not too destructive. And ninja tools should be fine too as long as we're careful not to aim near Okami."

"So not straight taijustu," Sasuke corrected. Now pulling his left arm over his head to stretch out his upper arm, he walked over to her. Stopping directly in front of her, he wondered, "I thought you said there would be too much damage if we did otherwise."

Hinata glanced sideways at their audience sitting under the tree. She whispered, "What's the point in just doing taijutsu? I came here to practice, not amuse Hato Okami. Straight taijutsu is always fun, but I need more ninjutsu work. I would train with Rock Lee or Neji if I wanted to do straight taijutsu. It would be a waste to not get to practice my ninjutsu with you. Out of everyone I know you're the best at ninjutsu."

Sasuke smirked and took a step closer. "Why the change of heart, Hina?"

Hinata raised her right arm over her head as well, clutching her elbow in her left hand. She winked at him. "I'm sick of being a doormat for my clan. I'm going to do what's right for me, not what's right for Hyuga Kaede. He's inconvenienced me long enough. The Hyuga Council may have invited Okami to my training session this afternoon, but that doesn't mean it needs to be an exhibition for the Kenkaji nobleman. This training session is for me."

"So is it alright if I fry 'im with a fireball jutsu?" wondered Sasuke.

Hinata sighed. "Unfortunately, that might be taking things a little too far."

Sasuke stalked back towards the nobleman, calling over his shoulder to Hinata, "Well if you plan to use ninjutsu, I'll use my sword. Can't make it too easy for you."

To say that Sasuke was surprised to find that Hato Okami had unsheathed his sword and was now studying it on his lap, would have been a vast understatement. The Uchiha heir's expression was not friendly when he demanded, "What the hell are you doing? Give me that."

Okami sheathed it smoothly and tossed it hard at Sasuke. Snatching it out of the air easily and tying it around his hips, Sasuke looked at the other man coldly and said, "Explain."

Okami leaned back against the tree and folded his arms over his chest. Looking up at Sasuke with a condescending smile, the nobleman said, "I've had considerable training with a sword. My father paid for the best tutors: fencers, samurai… shinobi. I was curious about the quality of your sword."

Sasuke sighed and rolled his eyes. "My sword? You wanted to look at _my_ sword? Well, are you satisfied?"

"I was surprised at how light it was. I've never encountered a sword made from that material. It felt very brittle, like one strong blow would break it to pieces," Okami taunted. "In Kenkaji, we use the finest iron for our swords."

Sasuke said with equal condescension, "I'm not surprised that you would not recognize the material. It's from a special copper alloy called aluminum bronze that conducts lightening style chakra extremely well. The metal gives the sword its golden color. There's little danger of it breaking to pieces, it's much more likely to slice through my opponent's sword like butter than break apart at the first blow."

Okami smirked, "Must be an expensive sword then, Sasuke. I noticed that the blade looks at least twenty years older than the hilt; the leather on the grip's newly wrapped. Though considering that you work at that diner, it's not surprising that you couldn't afford much more than a second hand ninja sword."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. Okami had really dug his teeth into the fact that Sasuke was helping Teyaki with the umbrella at the restaurant when he arrived with Hinata for lunch. The nobleman refused to believe that Sasuke was not in fact an employee of Uchiha Senbei. "It was my mothers," said Sasuke testily, "and I'm honored that she allows me to wield it."

"You mean you couldn't afford to buy your own sword," corrected Okami, "how far the once mighty Uchiha clan has fallen."

Sasuke was about to send an equally nasty retort back at the other man when he felt a light hand on his arm. Hinata was looking at Okami, her face mysteriously blank. When she glanced at Sasuke, the expression in her eyes was softer. "I thought we came here to spar, Sasuke."

"Yes, Sasuke," sneered Okami. "I'm looking forward to seeing this."

* * *

Hinata had convinced Sasuke to put up an Earth Wall in front of Okami so that he would be protected from stray kunai and other jutsu. Sasuke stalked over there with an eerie smile before putting up a wall of earth on each side of the man, effectively boxing him in front of the tree.

"Doton: Doryūheki!"

Unlike Hatake Kakashi who liked to decorate his earthern walls with sculptures of bulldogs, Sasuke's wall had a very large Uchiha fan in the center. Hinata didn't have the heart to tell her friend that it looked a little tacky. Standing a couple yards away, Hinata held her fists clenched at her sides as she gathered chakra into them. Large clouds of chakra burst from her hands to form lion shaped boxing gloves.

"Ready, Sasuke?" asked Hinata

Unsheathing his swords from his scabbard, Sasuke chuckled. "Bring it on, Hina."

Flying at the Uchiha, she bobbed and twisted around him hurling punches and kicks, trying to land one of her chakra infused blows on him.

Hinata was a petite girl and as such had a much smaller muscle mass than her opponent. Like his ANBU partner Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke was known for his speed. Hinata couldn't match his speed but she was much more flexible than the ANBU ninja. As such, she was able to get close to her opponent and bend into her attacks and twist away from his attacks.

With his sword thrumming with lightening chakra, Sasuke was able to block one of the devastating blows from her lion fisted hands. Her momentum carried her through to a roundhouse kick which he was unable to block. He went flying backward into a nearby tree. Sheathing his sword in a smooth motion and pulling out a set of shuriken at the same time, he wove quick hand signs and kicked off the tree and back at Hinata.

"Katon: Hōsenka Tsumabeni!"

His flame infused shuriken came at the Hyuga girl like a flash of wildfire. Concentrating her chakra, she whirled around and expelled chakra from every point on her body. The shuriken bounced off harmlessly. Hinata was just ending the jutsu as Sasuke took a deep breath and exhaled a huge fire ball at her.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"

"Damn it," Hinata muttered to herself as she tried to get out of the path of the large searing ball of flame. The shimmering lake was right up ahead. She dove in just before the fireball rolled over the surface of the lake. She surfaced again as Sasuke ran up to check on her. "You do love breathing fire, don't you, Sasuke," teased Hinata.

"Well Naruto does say that I am full of hot air," he retorted.

"I'm just grateful that you didn't burn Hato Okami to a crisp."

"Don't remind me," grumbled Sasuke. "I hate playing nice. Want to continue the spar? I didn't expect you to jump in the lake like that."

"Yeah," muttered Hinata as she lifted herself onto the surface of the lake. Her lavender tunic stuck to her like a second skin; her hair clung wetly to her neck and chest, leaving rivulets of lake water running down her front.

Sasuke folded his arms over his chest, watching her closely and wondering what her next move was. "Need me to dry you off with another fireball, Hina?" he teased.

Wringing out the bottom of her tunic with a sigh, she said. "I think I'm going to just go without the tunic for the rest of the spar. It'll probably impede my movement." Slipping off the tunic, she tossed her shirt at a stunned Sasuke before weaving signs for a water based jutsu. She was still modest beneath her tunic, of course. She guessed from Sasuke's shocked expression that he hadn't been sure if she was. She wore a short sleeve mess shirt over a tight black tube top.

"Suiton: Suigadan!"

Whirling torpedoes of water came twisting out of the lake at her feet to speed at Sasuke like bullets. Sasuke dropped Hinata's shirt and slammed his hands against the ground, pulling up another Earth Wall.

"Doton: Doryūheki!"

This one was less ornate than the last one he had been. It was able to protect Sasuke from the Water Bullets. What he didn't expect was for Hinata to come leaping over the wall, her hands glowing with chakra. Was she going to use her gentle fist technique or her chakra scalpels?

Sasuke guessed that it was the chakra scalpels that she had decided to use. She probably got plenty of practice with the Jyuken by sparing with her cousin and sister. Dodging and parrying her kicks and punches with his sword, Sasuke was led by Hinata back towards the field where they had started their spar.

Eventually the two ninjas ended up on the ground close to where they started. Sasuke held one of her arms pinned above her head while the other grasped his blade over her throat. Chakra faded from her hands as she realized that she had been bested. He was sprawled on top of her, reared up over her with his face very close to hers. One of his legs was wedged uncomfortably between hers so that his knee pressed into her inner thigh. Her heart was beating madly in her chest. If someone came up on them now, they would get entirely the wrong impression.

"Looks like I win," said Sasuke huskily, his warm breath ghosting over her lips. Hinata was shaken by the darkly penetrating look in his eyes. It was almost predatory. For a moment, she thought that he would kiss her. She looked up at him half in panic and half in anticipation.

"S-Sasuke?" she whispered.

At the sound of footsteps behind them and a loud cough, the two ninjas turned to see Hato Okami standing before them with his arms crossed over his chest. "Well, I think I've seen enough," the nobleman said.

* * *

The moonlight danced over the koi pond. The desolate expanse of the zen garden was a lunar landscape in the darkness. The figure of Hyuga Hiashi seemed a phantom where he sat by the pond reading a book by the light of a lantern. Pausing for a moment in the darkness of the hallway, Hinata watched her father wander back towards the house. His shoulders were bowed and he seemed tired. She wondered what was bothering him.

"Father," Hinata called to him as he neared the house.

Turning, he glanced forward at her. "There you are Hinata. Is something wrong?"

Putting her hand into his bent elbow, she whispered, "I've been hearing so many rumors about a marriage contact with Hato Okami of Kenkaji. I wanted to speak with you to determine if there is any truth to them."

Hinata did not fail to notice his sharp intake of breath. "Yes, they are true."

"When we spoke that morning in the garden and you said that I could be a use to the clan in other ways, was this what you meant?"

"Yes," he whispered.

Hinata wrenched her hand out from under his arm. "So when you told me that I would have to fight Hanabi for my position of heiress, was that all a lie? Why would you try to trick me like that?"

"I proposed the battle to the council of elders and they agreed to it. That was before the Hato noblemen arrived in Konoha and Okami revealed his intentions to have you as his wife. The council has been pushing this marriage; it's very advantageous for our clan. I was hoping that we could brush it off if you could prove yourself to them by battling Hanabi. It seems that they were just playing with me too."

Tears of frustration glittered in her eyes. "So there's nothing I can do?"

"It will be extremely difficult to get out of the engagement without shaming yourself or the clan."

"So the council is behind this, not you?"

Hiashi sighed. "Yes. I don't want this for you either. I don't think Okami would be a good match for you. He may be the next daimyo, but you deserve a _better_ man – a man with a noble heart, not noble blood."

"Father, I would like to go with you to the next council meeting to discuss this with the council of elders. Would that be alright?"

Hiashi looked at her with a very serious expression. "Hinata, Hyuga Kaede got wind of your behavior this afternoon with Uchiha Sasuke. He would like to speak to you at the next council meeting."

While walking back to the Hyuga compound after the spar, Hato Okami held a furious silence the entire way. She knew how things must have looked to him. It didn't help matters that she made no attempt to apologize. Even though there was nothing romantic going on between her and Sasuke, she didn't want to give the nobleman the satisfaction. There would inevitably be hell to pay, but the adrenaline from the spar and the rush of excitement from the almost kiss made her giddy with foolishness.

It was strange; Sasuke had never been that aggressive with her during one of their spars. Perhaps the presence of Okami was making them both do crazy things. In that moment when Sasuke was on top of her, his legs entangled with hers, she felt a rush of desire. It would have impossible not to, with a man like him sprawled across her so provocatively.

They had known each other for years and she had always thought that he was handsome. But to desire him? It had never really occurred to her and now she wasn't sure why. What she would say to him the next time they saw each other? She couldn't put a name to the feelings she was feeling towards him. She didn't even know whether or not she was upset that he had taken their friendship, breathed a fireball at it and then watched as it burned and folded into something fundamentally different.

Hinata felt an icy chill of foreboding. The council would be livid if she endangered their chances of securing a nuptial alliance with the Hato family. "It was Hyuga Kaede who invited Hato Okami along on my outing yesterday. I had already promised Sasuke that I would meet him for training. I acted as I saw fit."

"The Council will wish to speak with you nonetheless."

* * *

"This is probably not the most exciting thing that we could be doing," Itachi said, "but all of the Uchiha Clan Head annals are in that spare room that I use as an office."

Sasuke had asked his mother and brother if the Uchiha Clan Heads recorded significant events during their time as clan head. Sasuke could remember his father writing in a thin leather bound notebook from time to time, but they'd never spoken of it.

Mikoto explained that each Uchiha Clan Head kept a record of significant events affecting the clan. There was a separate anthology for all members of the clan to participate in. That mostly kept track of births, weddings, and deaths. When Itachi became clan head at thirteen, Mikoto took over the task of writing significant events in Itachi's annal. When he turned eighteen, Itachi received the book back from Mikoto, who had written in it sporadically over the last five years. Itachi was the twentieth clan head, so Sasuke imagined that there must have been a stash of twenty or so similar books somewhere. The older and more delicate records were kept in a room on an upper floor of the Konoha Military Police Department. When the new building was constructed after Uchiha Fugaku's death, a room was constructed to hold the Hokage's or Konoha clans' documents fragile from age.

"I'm not sure that I understand this sudden and seemingly out of character interest in our clan's history, but I suppose I'll humor you," said Itachi.

At some point, Mikoto had moved several of the more recent leather bound volumes into Itachi's apartment where they gathered dust on one of the uppermost shelves of the large bookcase that spanned the length of the room. Scrolls containing new ninjutsu techniques, histories of the shinobi world, theories of yin chakra genjutsu, and scrolls on all manner of subjects exploded from the shelves of the bookcase. It was a small wonder that Itachi didn't pay too much attention to the annals of the other Clan Heads on the tall shelf.

Itachi began pulling out the annals and pilling them in Sasuke's arms. Itachi had six in his possession. Loading a particularly thick book into Sasuke's arms, Itachi commented, "Here's the annal of Madara Uchiha; it's quite long. It was during his time as clan head that Konoha was founded and many secrets of the Sharingan were discovered."

"Wasn't he exiled from Konoha? Banished from the clan?" wondered Sasuke. "It's amazing that he was able to write so much."

Putting a second smaller book on top of Madara's account, Itachi nodded. "His last couple entries are quite amusing. After Madara was exiled, his younger brother Izuna took over leadership of the clan. His annal was transcribed by one of his friends. Madara stole his brother's eyes, so Izuna was unable to write his annal by himself."

"Where's father's annal?" wondered Sasuke.

"It's this one here," said Itachi placing it on top. "Not as long as some of the other ones, but pretty interesting. He was the clan head from the end of the Third Shinobi War through his death. Our grandfather, Izuna's son, was the clan head during the second great shinobi war. That one is worth reading as well."

"I think I'll start with father's," said Sasuke. He handed the pile of books back to Itachi who accepted them with a raised eyebrow.

"Looking for confirmation about the coup d'etat?"

"Perhaps," Sasuke quipped.

Wandering back to the living room, Sasuke sprawled on Itachi's couch and opened up the leather bound notebook. The letters from the noblewomen and several empty bottles of sake were still piled on Itachi's coffee table. The title was seared into the leather of the cover.

_Annals of the Uchiha Clan_

_As Recorded by Uchiha Fugaku,_

_Nineteenth Head of the Uchiha Clan,_

_Concerning the Third Shinobi War, the Election of the Fourth Hokage,_

_the Kyuubi Attack, the Hyuga Incident, and the Uchiha Coup D'Etat._

He called to his brother who was still rearranging the leather tomes that Sasuke had thrust back into his arms, "He mentions the Coup d'etat in the title of his annal."

There came a crash and then Itachi's deep voice calling back, "Are you done reading then?"

"Nah," Sasuke called back.

Flipping open to the first page, Sasuke began to skim the contents. He didn't mention to his brother what he was actually searching for in his father's annal. He hoped to find mention of the Hyuga-Uchiha treaty. He hadn't decided yet if he wished to bring it to the attention of his brother and mother, but it would be beneficial to have further evidence of the Treaty if the Uchiha clan decided to come forward with it. The Hyuga clan could easily deny its existence. There had to be someone besides Hyuga Hiashi, Hyuga Kaede, Hyuga Kioshi and Hyuga Mitsui aware of its existence, right?

Although _that moment_ at the end of their spar was cut short, the memory of it was burned forever in his brain. He might have felt a sliver of regret for showing his previously hidden intentions so clearly, if not for the memory of Hinata's lithe body beneath him and the image of her pearlescent eyes looking up at him in a tantalizing mixture of desire and confusion. If only Hato Okami hadn't been there to interrupt them.

Since making chunin, he had been so obsessed with becoming more powerful and discovering the truth of his father's death that he had almost let her slip through his fingers. Sasuke had always thought that he would have plenty of time to pursue her romantically; they were both barely eighteen! Because a possible union would be between the heirs of two noble clans, there would be a certain amount of politics involved. So when he was a little older and more impressive, he had planned to ask Hiashi and the Hyuga clan elders for her hand in marriage – that is, after he secured her affections.

He glanced up as Itachi wandered into the room with Uchiha Madara's annal and sat down on the armchair next to the couch. Kicking his feet up on the ottoman, he settled in. "You should read this one when you're done with father's. Listen to this: _'I was approached by Senju Hashirama today who wished to end the animosity between our two clans and found a village together in the middle of Fire Country. He said that he would like for my clan to join his in bringing about an end to this eternal war. I said that I would like for him to go fuck himself.'_"

Sasuke let out a snicker of amusement before returning to his father's annal and his own ruminations. The Uchiha clan elders hadn't applied any pressure on him to find a wife – most of that attention was focused on Itachi. It was foolish of him to think that the Hyuga clan elders would act the same way with Hinata. Her case was more like Itachi's; she was the older sibling. He should have known that the Hyuga clan wouldn't wait long before pressuring her with a marriage alliance.

His intermediate goal on that front had been a position as an ANBU captain. As an ANBU captain, he would have enough money and prestige to convince the Hyuga clan elders that it would be an advantageous match. At first the goal had been a promotion to jonin. After he achieved that, he realized that it wouldn't be enough.

The shocking revelation of Hinata's imminent engagement to Hato Okami and the knowledge of the secret engagement to _his own brother_ – an engagement so secret than no one except the Hyuga clan elders seem to have any knowledge of it – had stirred him into action. He had been so focused on becoming powerful that he had disregarded one of the most important relationships in his life.

His search for power… He couldn't say for certain whether it had been motivated out of a desire to be worthy of Hinata or whether it was out of a desire to be more impressive than Itachi – a goal that always seemed impossible to achieve.

It was ironic that the one thing that would dissolve Hinata's engagement to Hato Okami would also block any relationship that he could enter into with her – she would be promised instead to _his_ _brother_. That was much too permanent a solution for his liking. He would only sacrifice his queen if he could force a checkmate during the next move.

"Madara's account of the founding of Konoha is quite good as well," Itachi drawled. "_'My campaign for the Hokage-ship didn't go well. Apparently the other clans didn't respond as well to my platform as they did to Hashirama's. I don't understand why people are uncomfortable with the phrase 'world domination.' If we're founding a ninja village, what else are we supposed to be doing? Hashirama's smear campaign didn't help matters. Those pictures of me eating babies were obviously doctored and Izuna gave me his eyes; I didn't steal them from him!"_

Sasuke chuckled as he skimmed the pages of Fugaku's annal. The coup and the Treaty would no doubt be mentioned in the last several entries, but there was no harm in being thorough. Sasuke didn't want to miss anything of importance. Sasuke skimmed the entries about Fugaku's early years as the clan head during the third great shinobi war.

When he came to the entry for October 10th, Sasuke read his father's description of the Kyuubi attack very carefully. Sasuke knew that his mother and father had been away and left Itachi to babysit. It seemed that father had been staying late at the Military Police Department that night on a case concerning the break-in and theft of several shinobi weapons at a town nearby to Konoha. The passages about the aftermath of the attack were a bit of a surprise for the Uchiha heir.

"_After the tragic death of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina sealing away the Kyuubi into their newborn son, the Uchiha clan came under intense scrutiny from the ANBU black ops. Sarutobi Hiruzen remembered his sensei, Senju Tobirama, mentioning to him many years after Uchiha Madara's assault on Konoha that the Uchiha clan had power over the Nine Tailed Fox because of their Sharingan. The fact that Mikoto and myself were away that evening on Police business made any circumstantial evidence all the more damning. _

_Mikoto and I were both brought into the Department of Torture and Interrogation in the weeks following the attack and had our minds probed by our classmate Yamanaka Inoichi and his apprentice Morino Ibiki. After humiliating hours of having my innermost thoughts and memories invaded by the Yamanaka clan head, I was distressed to come home to a squad of ANBU escorting my young son Itachi to the Hokage. They hadn't discovered anything untoward in our minds, but they were not satisfied. They wanted to interrogate my five year old son. When they found nothing sinister within the minds of my family, they moved on to the Uchiha counsel and then all ninjas of chunin rank or higher within the Uchiha clan."_

Itachi had not volunteered that particular piece of information. Why would the Torture and Interrogation Department or the ANBU Black Ops want with a five year old academy student? They hoped that he would betray his own parents?

"Oi, Itachi," said Sasuke. "Father's annal says that you were taken in for questioning after the Nine Tails attack. What was that all about?"

Itachi looked up from Madara's annal with a raised eyebrow. "I wasn't behind the Kyuubi attack if that's what you're asking." Itachi gave his younger brother a look of feigned offense before drawling, "I hope that you don't think that I did it. I was only five years old at the time."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "What happened though? Did you have your mind probed? I'm surprised that the Third Hokage allowed something like that to be done to a five year old boy."

"Morality in the shinobi world is never so black and white," Itachi said with a haunted look. "Often terrible deeds must be done to prevent even more terrible things from coming to pass. The shinobi world is steeped in lies, deception, and betrayal."

Sasuke blinked in surprise at his brother's words. "What are you trying to tell me, Itachi?"

"Look underneath the underneath," was his older brother's cryptic reply.

"Do you think the coup that father was planning was justified?" wondered Sasuke. "The village interrogated every member of the Uchiha clan chunin rank or higher about the events surrounding the Kyuubi attack after probing the mind of the five year old heir to the Uchiha clan. That would have undoubtedly caused a backlash within the clan. It would have been considered a gross insult."

Itachi sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes. "That was the start of things to the best of my knowledge, the fuel that stoked the fires of rebellion. Father made a bigger deal out of my interrogation than was necessary."

"What do you mean?"

"The ANBU took me to the Hokage's office, yes. When I was there the Third Hokage gave me tea and cookies and asked me how I liked the academy and if everything was alright at home after the Kyuubi attack. It wasn't as sinister as father makes it out to be."

"Our family does have a tendency for melodrama," Sasuke admitted.

"Speak for yourself, Sasuke," Itachi teased.

Sasuke drawled back, "Says the man who specializes in genjutsu illusions. You're ten times more dramatic than I am."

"I hadn't thought of it that way. But now I'm self-conscious," Itachi quipped.

"I'm sure you'll get over it," Sasuke retorted as he went back to reading the annal.

It was strange to think that the seeds of rebellion were planted almost eighteen years ago, but only came to flower ten years ago. Why did it take so long? The next entry of note was his father's chilling account of Hyuga Hinata's abduction some three years after the Kyuubi attack.

Looking up at his brother again, Sasuke asked, "Did things change for the Uchiha after they helped to thwart the Hyuga kidnapping? I find it strange that the coup d'etat happened so many years after the Kyuubi attack. If things were as bad as everyone claimed, why would they have waited eight years to overthrow the Konoha government? Konoha was weakest after the attack. That would have been the best time to stroke."

Itachi blinked in surprise. "That's true. It would have been the best time. It would have also been the worst time. If Konoha had been embroiled in a civil war so soon after the Kyuubi attack, it would have been an ideal time for another village to conquer us."

"I suppose you're right," said Sasuke. "Was the clan waiting for things to calm down before taking over Konoha?"

Itachi set his book down and turned to face his brother. "I can't say for certain. The conspirators' motivations aren't clear to me." He nodded to the book in Sasuke's hands. "What does father say in his annal about the coup d'etat?"

Sasuke turned back to the book open in his hands. "I'm just about to get to that part. Have you read it?"

Itachi glanced back down at Madara's annal which lay forgotten on the side table. "I read it once, right after father's death."

_After years of seething anger and careful preparation, we have come close to bringing about a new era for the Uchiha clan. Last month my son Itachi was given a captainship in Sarutobi's ANBU. He joined the secret organization a year ago and has since been a vital resource for the Uchiha clan to the village's nerve center. _

_Shimura Danzo is insufferable as always. He fought tooth and nail to keep my son out of ANBU. He is quick to dismiss my son's talents and condemn his heritage. Itachi is the first Uchiha to be appointed to ANBU captain since the Kyuubi attack. _

_However, it's truly a blessing in disguise that the Uchiha clan is so isolated from the Konoha hierarchy. Many of the best and brightest of the Uchiha clan are members of the Konoha Military Police. Several members of the clan have menial jobs in the village doing paperwork and monitoring the gates. The Uchiha clan is ready to rise to a position of prominence in the village again. _

_The other masterminds behind the new order are high ranking officers in the Kohoha Military Police. Uchiha Inabi, Uchiha Tekka, Uchiha Yakumi, Uchiha Yashiro, and I have carefully engineered our plans. Uchiha Inabi serves on the police force as a criminal profiler. He is easily able to see the darkness in men's souls. Inabi has been working to determine the allies of the Uchiha clan. Although the Uchiha clan has been greatly wronged by the village of Konoha, we have little desire to persecute the innocent as we were persecuted. Uchiha Yashiro has been assisting Inabi in this regard. Yashiro is older than his comrade in the Criminal Profiling Division and as such has many contacts within the village. Inabi and Yashiro have identified those who can and cannot be trusted._

_Uchiha Tekka and Uchiha Takumi work at the Military Police Division as liaisons to other towns in the Fire Country. The Police Department is often called in to consult on cases in other cities. Tekka and Takumi have formed an alliance with the village Sora-ku. It is there that we have been compiling our arsenal. They have also been working to buy kunai, shuriken, paper bombs, and other supplies. They have been doing so under aliases and only buy small amounts from suppliers so as not to raise suspicion._

_My son Itachi has been central to the preparations as well. He has the most access to the Hokage and village elders. When the time comes, it will be his responsibility to assassinate Sarutobi, Shimura, Koharu and Homura. I know that I can trust my son's loyalty in this regard. _

Sasuke looked up at Itachi. His brother was sitting silently in his chair staring bleakly at the blank wall across from him. His shoulders were tense, almost as if he were waiting for a blade to fall. Sasuke cleared his throat and said, "Father mentions that you had a job to fulfill in the coup."

Itachi turned to look at his brother. His brother's eyes were inscrutable. "That's right."

"You were… you were supposed to assassinate the _Hokage_?"

Itachi didn't even blink. His lips were pressed in a thin line. "That's right," he repeated.

Sasuke blinked in surprise. "Why you? Why not an older member of the clan? Surely Shisui would have been a better…"

"As the only ANBU captain from the Uchiha clan, I had the most opportunity." Itachi said with little emotion. "Who guards the guards," he mumbled to himself.

Sasuke turned to look his brother straight in the eye. "So what did you do?"

"What I thought was right," said Itachi.

"For who?"

"For Konoha, for our survival."

Glancing back at the annal, Sasuke said quietly. "So you betrayed father."

Itachi let out a sigh. "I chose a side."

Itachi picked Madara's annal back up and flipped to a page at random and began to read. His eyes didn't move over the page very quickly. His mind seemed miles away. Sasuke turned back to the words written in his father's tidy script.

_We have been compromised. I have my suspicions, but I won't reveal them until they have been confirmed beyond a doubt. The thought of that betrayal is especially painful. It has come from within my inner circle – from the few people I believed I could trust above all others._

_Sarutobi Hiruzen is handling the affair with his typical aplomb. Danzo has been extremely condescending and pigheaded. Even though he salivates at the thought of possessing the Sharingan, he treats the continuation of our clan's prized kekkei genkai rather cavalierly. Sarutobi and I have been in talks late into the night, trying to find a resolution. I am confident that there is little he and the village can do to appease me. Hyuga Hiashi is a shrewd man. The Hyuga clan and the Uchiha clan rarely see eye to eye on many issues; however, our clans possess the two most powerful bloodlines in Konoha, so that demands a certain amount of respect. _

_I had thought that our clan's troubles had not yet circulated through the village, but Sarutobi decided to embroil the Hyuga clan in our troubles. Although the Hyuga elders are not pleased with the arrangement, they tolerated the idea well enough. It's insulting, but the delay on the arrangement is long enough to ensure our clan's good behavior until we receive our payoff. I'm not sure why they are in such a hurry to sell the girl off, but it's no skin off my nose._

_Copies of the Treaty have been left in the care of the Hyuga, Uchiha, and Sarutobi clans. Hiruzen plans to make another copy, but I'm not sure what his intentions are with it._

The remaining pages were blank. Sasuke felt a chill. His father had mentioned the treaty; thought he had not spelled out the details explicitly. It would be difficult for someone without knowledge of the affair to work out the specifics, but everything was mentioned there: the Hyuga clan, the Uchiha clan, the "girl," the dowry. It was too vague to be any evidence; however. The Hyuga clan could still deny the existence of the Treaty if they chose. None of the particulars were spelled out and no names were mentioned.

A conversation from days ago, teased the edge of his memory. Turning to his brother, Sasuke asked, "When I was talking with Uchiha Kagami the other day, he said something strange. At first he thought that I was mother from my chakra signature."

"I'm not surprised. Your chakra and mother's chakra have a similar resonance." Itachi nodded.

"I never noticed."

"You're mother and son and have the same chakra affinities, so it's not surprising. A skilled sensor would be able to tell the difference, but the resemblance is close enough to make it difficult for a ninja not trained as a sensor to tell the difference."

"Do you know if father's chakra resembled anyone else's chakra?"

"Yes," said Itachi. "Father and I had similar chakra – not as similar as you and mother, but similar nonetheless."

Sasuke looked at the date of the entry again. It was strange that the Treaty had been signed two months before Fugaku's death. Glancing up at Itachi, he asked, "So did these measures to appease the Uchiha clan help? They prevented the coup d'etat. But why were father and the other conspirators still meeting late at night months after this power struggle was supposed to have been resolved?"

Itachi sighed and sat back, closing Madara's annal. "The measures helped somewhat, but it wasn't enough. It was like trying to stop the river raging over its banks with a single sandbag. It wasn't a permanent solution."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at his brother's answer. "Then what was the permanent solution? You were promoted to captain in ANBU around this time. Was that one of your first missions? Was father your target?"

Itachi hesitated. Finally, he broke the charged silence by whispering softly, "Yes."

Sasuke threw the annal on the ground and started pacing. "Why didn't you tell me? Did you think I won't figure it out?"

Itachi looked pained as he said, "You were … you were so young when it happened and you idolized father. I didn't want to -"

"Didn't want to what?" Sasuke demanded. "Didn't want me to understand anything about my clan's history? Didn't think I would be smart enough to understand the circumstances?"

Itachi smiled wryly at him. "I didn't want to taint your memory of him with the truth. When you started looking into his death after your chunin exams, I figured I would tell you when you got close."

"When I got close?"

Itachi nodded.

Sasuke considered his brother. "You always said you didn't like me looking at the files, but you never prevented me from going. I guess I should be grateful for that. It would have been easier to brush it under the rug."

"It didn't seem right to prevent you from looking into it. You had a right to know," said Itachi.

"I did," said Sasuke coldly. "And you took your precious time telling me, brother."

"I'm sorry." Itachi's eyes were haunted as he explained his motivations. "The Uchiha clan was on the verge of a revolt. We couldn't afford a civil war. I wanted to prevent against that. Father was not against using his children as pawns. He tried his best with me but I'm stubborn wouldn't go along with any of his schemes. When he began to direct his attention toward you, I became frightened and agreed to do what the counsel bid me."

"The counsel?" wondered Sasuke. "They were involved?"

"Yes. The counsel and the Hokage gave me the mission."

"Was Uchiha Kagami involved?"

Itachi nodded. "Yes, he was."

"What about Shimura Danzo?" asked Sasuke.

Itachi furrowed his brows in thought. "I don't know about Danzo's involvement. He was a member of the counsel, so he was aware of the order. However, he wasn't supposed to be there that night. Uchiha Kagami would know more of the particulars."

* * *

Uchiha Itachi had asked her to meet him in one of the smaller training grounds outside the city of Konoha proper. At first, he had suggested training field six, which was a small field wedged in between several other small fields. However Hinata wanted a more private field so that the Hyuga clan elders and the Hato family wouldn't be able to either prevent or interfere with her training session.

The path itself afforded a particularly beautiful ambiance for her musings. Itachi had recommended that she follow a small meandering stream that flowed near the village from the north. The water danced over mossy stones as it rushed along. Dainty ferns and slender trees framed the banks from both sides.

In the back of her mind, she wondered if wandering off alone to a remote training ground to meet a man that she didn't know particularly well was a very good decision. She herself had suggested it, but it was a risky move, especially considering how conservative the Hyuga clan was on some matters.

After the training session that she had with Sasuke, she was glad for a chance to train away from the lecherous gaze of Hato Okami. The spar itself had ended very strangely. She couldn't deny that the thought of her training session with Itachi ending in a similar manner had crossed her mind. Her heart beat a touch faster in excitement and anticipation. Of course, she also planned to learn a great deal from Itachi this afternoon – genjutsu specifically. The fact they were alone in a remote training ground was just an added bonus.

Hanabi had looked at her funny when her sister came in to borrow some of Hinata's shuriken for practice with her teammates. Hinata was staring at her reflection in the mirror and agonizing over which lipstick to use. Or was lipstick too presumptuous? Would lip gloss be better? Where was Ino when you needed her?

Hanabi looked her up and down appraisingly. "I'm surprised that you're fussing so much over what you look like for a date with Hato Okami. I thought you hated him. Are you sure you want to wear that? He knows that you're a kunoichi and all, but I'm not sure he'll appreciate that kunoichi chic look you're going for. I only wear that much mesh when I'm training. Don't want to give the bastard the wrong impression."

"Er," stuttered Hinata, "I'm not going to meet Okami."

Hanabi's eyebrows climbed up her forehead. "Really?"

"I'm just meeting a friend for a training session, it's nothing serious."

"Training session, eh?" teased Hanabi. "So that's what they're calling it these days." Hinata blushed crimson but did nothing to contract her sister. Hanabi squealed with excitement, "You're going to meet a boy! Who is it? Do you need my help sneaking out? I can run interference as long as you promise to tell me all about this guy."

Hinata looked guarded for a moment before whispering in her sister's ear, "Uchiha Itachi."

"An older man, Hina, I'm impressed."

The fact that she had to sneak out of the Hyuga compound made the whole experience all the more forbidden and therefore all the more exciting. Apparently Hato Okami had been furious about the almost kiss with Sasuke during yesterday's spar, so Hyuga Kaede was keeping an eagle's eye on her. If Kaede knew that Hinata was going to train with Uchiha Itachi, he would have forbidden her from leaving the compound, or worse – sent Hato Okami with her. Hinata couldn't be certain what sort of diversion Hanabi concocted for her to make good her escape, but she was glad to have her younger sister on her side.

The birds in the verdant canopy trilled above the steady murmur of the brook. Dusty rays of sunlight streamed in from above to illuminate the forest floor. She had been walking for some time, enjoying the scenery when she noticed a tree identical to one that she had passed ten minutes ago. Was she walking in circles? Was he _making_ her walk in circles?

"He must have cast Kori Shinchuu no Jutsu on me," Hinata muttered to herself, annoyed that she hadn't noticed it earlier. Focusing her chakra to break the genjutsu, she muttered, "Kai!"

"I see that you've caught onto my trick," came Itachi's voice from somewhere up ahead. She began walking towards it. Hinata was startled to hear his voice now coming from behind her too. "Learning how to recognize and dispel a genjutsu is just as important as learning to cast one."

"So you're using Suro-boisu no Jutsu this time to throw your voice," Hinata called. She disrupted her chakra again and called out "Kai!"

She could sense him in the clearing with her. The white noise of the rushing water did little to distract her. It was strange, almost as if her perception was off. Had he used another genjutsu on her? Its affects were similar to a technique that Kurenai had used on her during her genin examination.

She had learned the technique herself. It was called Magen: Kokoni Arazu no Jutsu. It altered the appearance of something, so you wouldn't recognize it unless you came into contact with it. It could be very effective in battle. Foes didn't realize that the genjutsu had been cast until it was too late. The spell could be broken with a simple genjutsu release like she had done with his previous two genjutsu. It could also be broken if the victim came into contact with the thing being hidden within the genjutsu.

A Hyuga's Byakugan eyes could see through almost anything, including visual genjutsu. After all her research on the Byakugan and Sharingan, she had theorized at one point that it had to do with the optical nerve redundancies in Hyuga and Uchiha brains. The redundancy was to allow additional chakra flow to the eyes, but it also make it more difficult for a genjutsu caster to cast visual jutsu on a Hyuga or Uchiha because of the unique construction of their optical nerve pathways.

Even without their kekkei genkai activated, Hyugas had superior eyesight. Though she didn't have her Byakugan activated, she could see a glimpse of him. Putting a hand out in front of her, she walked in his direction and stopped right in front of him. Sliding her palm up his chest in a light caress, she said, "Found you."

The genjutsu broke at the contact and he appeared before her. The expression in his eyes was piercing as he whispered huskily, "So you did."

He was wearing his black ANBU fatigues without the metal breastplate just as his younger brother had the previous day. He rested his hand over hers. They were standing so close together that she could almost feel the warmth radiating from his body. After a beat, he lifted her hand off his chest.

Itachi cleared his throat after a beat and said, "So which genjutsu techniques did you want to work on?" His voice was steady, but she had been able to pick up on the slight increase in his heartbeat during her light contact only moments before.

Hinata only allowed herself a moment to be amazed at her own daring. She answered, "I've learned a variety of low level genjutsu from Kurenai; I wanted to improve on my higher level genjutsu."

Itachi nodded in approval. "So which genjutsu techniques are you proficient with? Can you show me?" His dark eyes ran red and started to spin as he activated his Sharingan.

Hinata stepped back and rubbed her hands together. "I have two D-rank genjutsu and one C-rank genjutsu." She focused her chakra to manipulate the chakra in her companion's brain. "Kanashibari no Jutsu!"

Itachi only allowed himself to be paralyzed for a second from her genjutsu before he broke it and nodded at her in approval. "Very good. Next one?"

Hinata blinked at the quickness that he dismissed the genjutsu's effects. She didn't see him utter the genjutsu release or disrupt his chakra. How had he done it? Trying to avoid the feeling of impotence she felt at witnessing some of his power, she prepared her second genjutsu and said, "Fusenmei Genzō!"

Itachi's eyebrows rose for a second before he muttered, "Hm." He had dispelled that one almost instantaneously as well. Apparently her vision blurring genjutsu had no effect on him either. "That one can be very useful in battle. I'm glad that you can perform it so well. What's the last one?"

Hinata took a deep breath. She knew that Uchiha Itachi was a talented shinobi. He had been an ANBU captain for nearly ten years; she knew that he would be good. But she hadn't expected to be so far out of his league. It was disheartening. She gathered her chakra for a third time and focused on the chakra in his mind again. "Botsuraku Gozō no Jutsu!"

"Kai!" Itachi used a genjutsu release for her third attempt and then nodded in approval. "Another excellent genjutsu to use in battle. Having their air supply cut off can really disrupt a shinobi's jutsu and concentration."

Hinata pursed her lips at him unhappily. "You dismissed all my genjutsu so easily. How did you do that?"

Itachi tapped one of his long fingers below his red Sharingan eyes. "One of the powers available to me with the Sharingan is the ability to see through genjutsu. I needed to train my eyes to do it, but genjutsu doesn't have an effect on me. Don't feel bad about it. Those three genjutsu techniques that you performed on me were flawless. Your vision blurring genjutsu was one of the best I've ever seen."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely."

"Oh," Hinata said with a smile. "Thanks!"

Itachi smiled back at her before saying, "I want to show you a new genjutsu technique that I taught Shikamaru. Considering your current repertoire, this one should complement it nicely. It's called Senbō no Tsumi. It causes the other ninja to become jealous of your techniques and try to imitate them to amusing effect. Shikamaru's particularly fond of this one. Most of his ninjutsu techniques require him to stand around and capture people with his shadow, watching enemy ninja trying to do the same is a sight to be seen."

"What If I used this technique on a ninja who can use some of my same jutsu?" wondered Hinata. "If I tried to use this while sparing with Neji, it wouldn't be as effective, right? Because he has the Byakugan and use many similar jutsu."

Itachi nodded approvingly. "Exactly. It would be of decreasing effectiveness against a foe with similar jutsu. However, it would still cause Neji to become distracted. He would attempt to imitate your attacks rather than thinking of his own. That way you would be able to predict what jutsu he plans to use against you."

Hinata blinked. "I hadn't thought of it that way."

"This is considered an A-rank genjutsu. It's very difficult, so don't be discouraged if it takes some time to learn," Itachi began. "I'm going to first perform the technique on you and then you can attempt to do the same on me."

"Okay."

* * *

The walk back to Konoha seemed to pass must faster than the walk out of the training ground. The anticipation of seeing Itachi and the excitement of slipping out of Konoha under Hyuga Kaede and Hato Okami's noses made the journey to the training ground an adventure in itself. If the Hyuga councilmember and the Daimyo's nephew found out that she had gone off alone with a young man from the Uchiha clan… she didn't even want to imagine what would happen.

Itachi was a wonderful teacher. With his Sharingan activated, he was able to see through any mistakes that she made with the jutsu whether it was gathering chakra, dispersing chakra, or weaving handsigns and then direct her appropriately. Her other teachers had never been so specific. He was so patient and complementary too.

"You seem to be deep in thought," said his voice from beside her.

Looking up at him sheepishly, she replied, "I'm sorry about that. A lot on my mind, I suppose."

His dark eyes searched hers. "If you want to talk about anything, I'm happy to listen. This place is very remote. It's unlikely that someone might overhear."

"Right," Hinata murmured.

Gazing ahead at the deserted path up ahead, Itachi mused, "I'll admit that I was a bit surprised that you wanted to train in such a remote field. I assumed that you wanted the privacy to discuss something that's been preying on your mind."

Hinata blinked in surprise. That was a logical assumption; though, it wasn't the true reason why she had recommended it. She didn't want to risk the interference of the Hyuga elders and the Hato family; though, that wasn't the only reason.

In the back of her mind, Hinata had hoped that Itachi would kiss her again. But the ANBU captain had been the very epitome of decorum throughout their training session. No doubt, he was catering to her request from their last training session. There had been several moments where she thought something might happen, but he always pulled back at the last second.

Itachi must have mistaken her silence for something else. "Though if you're uncomfortable speaking about…"

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that," Hinata interrupted. "I'm just not sure where to begin."

"I suppose the beginning's just as good a place as any."

Her thoughts tumbled out in a rush. "That's just the thing. I don't know where this began. I've only been involved as it's coming to its conclusion – the final stages of great changes in my life that I didn't even know had been set into motion. I'm finding out more and more every day that the things I thought I knew were in fact deceptions to keep me from the actual truth." Looking down at her feet, she said, "I'm not making much sense, I'm sorry."

He stopped walking for a moment and cupped her cheek, forcing her gaze up to his. "You're making perfect sense. Our shinobi world is built on a rocky foundation of deceptions and lies. I myself am guilty of contributing to them. It's horrible that you have been deceived so."

It was hard to tear her gaze away from his. "I have no talent for lies or deception," she whispered. "Maybe that's why I'm such a poor kunoichi. I'm in completely over my head, Itachi. I've been trying to match wits with adversaries far more powerful and cunning than I am. They've been scheming with my life for years and I've only just noticed."

He studied her slowly before answering, "This has to do with the Hato family, am I correct? The Hyuga clan is pressing a union between you and Hato Okami. The wealth and prestige would be too tempting a prize for them to pass up."

Hinata blinked in surprise. "How did you…"

He stepped back and released her, folding his hands behind his back, trying to create some distance between them. "You've… captured my interest," he said slowly. "I've been paying closer attentions to the affairs of the Hyuga clan recently."

Hinata grabbed his arm and stepped closer to him. "Itachi, I…"

He looked down at her intently. "Tell me what I can do. Please, if there's anything. I want to help."

Hinata took a step closer, continuing to be amazed by her own daring. "I know that I have no right to ask this of you and I know that I shouldn't – but… could you kiss me again?"

Itachi blinked in surprise. "I thought…"

Hinata stood up on her tiptoes, stretching towards him like a flower to the sun. "I've been inconsistent, I'm sorry. But I've decided that I'm going to pursue what I think's best for me instead of the whims of the Hyuga council."

Itachi unfolded him arms from behind his back. Leaning down slightly, he kissed her lightly on the lips. Their first kiss had been all fire and passion, but this one was tender and slow. She sighed at his tongue's slow exploration of her mouth as his hands lightly glided over the mesh on her back. She pulled him closer to her, enjoying the warmth of his body against hers.

* * *

Hinata had never been to a Hyuga Council meeting before. She had been surprised that the council members would have asked her to attend the meeting even before she had spoken with her father. That made her extremely apprehensive. Instead of putting herself on the offensive, she would most likely find herself on the defensive. The reason why the council wanted her there had not escaped her mind.

Striding along beside her, her cousin said, "Try not to be nervous, Hina. Just present your case like you did to me."

Fighting the compulsion to press her fingers together, she wrung her hands instead. "I know."

Neji opened the rice paper door and stepped back to let her enter before him. Her father and the three council members were already sitting on the tatami mats. Hinata was fearful of the calculating look in Kaede's white eyes.

As soon as she sat down across from the councilmembers and her father, she was surprised when the rice paper doors opened again. Hato Kaba and his son were dressed impeccably in their family's richest silks. They breezed into the room and sat across from Hinata and Neji.

"Now that everyone is gathered, let us begin," said Kaede. Turning his bland eyes on inataHiHHk 00HH

Hinata, he continued, "Your father said that you had a concern that you wished to discuss with the council, girl?"

"I…" began Hinata. Glancing at the Kaba and Okami, she said awkwardly, "I wasn't aware that this was an open meeting. I was under the impression that I would only be discussing my concerns with the Hyuga council."

Hyuga Mitsui replied, "Kaba and Okami had an issue that they wanted to discuss with all of us, so we thought it appropriate to invite them to this meeting as well."

Hinata noted the annoyance flashing in her father's eyes as he added, "I wasn't aware of this change. I wish you would inform me in advance if you are inviting non clan members to these meetings. Hinata has a personal matter to discuss; therefore, I wouldn't have approved of their presence for this part of the meeting had I known that they intended to join us."

Kaede seemed unapologetic as he responded, "We will be sure to inform you next time, Hiashi." Turning his gaze to Hinata, he said, "What was it you wished to discuss with us, girl?"

"I.." began Hinata. She was so thrown off by the presence of Hato Okami and his father that her entire train of thought was derailed. She wanted to speak with the council about having this marriage treaty torn up. How was she supposed to do that with the man they wanted her to marry right in the room? How had Ino done it?

"Well spit it out, girl!" demanded Kaede.

Neji tensed beside her. Hinata took a deep breath and said, "I have been receiving conflicting reports about my candidacy as the next leader of the clan. I…"

Hyuga Kioshi snorted. "This isn't that rubbish about letting you and Hanabi battle to determine who is the stronger kunoichi?"

Kaede sneered. "We decided nearly ten years ago that you would not be the next leader of our clan."

Hinata gaped at them. "T…Ten years?"

Hiashi crossed his arms over his chest defensively. Hinata took a breath, ready to discuss some of the issues that she and Neji had gone through. Before she was able to get a word in, Kaede spoke again, "But we are not here today to discuss your ineligibility for the position of Hyuga clan head. We have heard some disturbing report about your conduct with the Uchiha boy. We are sorely disappointed to hear that you did not conduct yourself in a manner appropriate for a kunoichi of the Hyuga clan."

Hinata blinked in surprise. "I …"

Kaede interrupted again, "We will give you a probationary period and if you do anything to compromise your reputation or bring shame upon the clan, we'll have to take drastic measures. "

* * *

**A/N: Please review!**

**Here's a list of the jutsus used:**

**Doton: Doryūheki – Earth Style: Earth Wall.**

**Katon: Hōsenka Tsumabeni - Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Shuriken Jutsu**

**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu - Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu**

**Suiton: Suigadan - Water Style: Water Fang Bullet**

**Jūho Sōshiken - Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fists**

**Kori Shinchuu no Jutsu - Sly Mind Affect Technique**

**Suro-boisu no Jutsu - Voice Throwing Technique**

**Magen: Kokoni Arazu no Jutsu - Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings**

**Kanashibari no Jutsu - Paralysis Technique**

**Fusenmei Genzō - Vision Blur**

**Hibiki no Jutsu - Phantom Voice Technique**

**Botsuraku Gozō no Jutsu - Diminishing Air Technique**

**Senbō no Tsumi - Jealousy Control**


	9. Chapter Eight - The Marriage Contract

**A/N: Sorry for the delay between chapters. I'm finding Hinata difficult to write and enjoying writing my ShikaIno story a little bit too much. **

**As mentioned I've been working on a ShikaIno, NaruSaku, SasuHina, KakaAnko epic that you should check out. It's a continuation of the manga rather than an AU like this one. Personally, I'm more fond of it than the Treaty. There's also a bit of Itachi in it if you squint. It's called the Endgame and the sequel is called the King. **

**A special thanks to all my wonderful reviewers! You guys are the best! The Impossible Dreamer, Nino, NaviTheGoddess, pangpond, bianca504billiot, dumdeedum, PsychoticSky, hinatafan, Yuki no Ai, reneelg1963, aurora0914, LM22102, queenofthenial, chibi beary, jkl, and scarlet letters in the snow.**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

**The Marriage Contract**

**a.k.a "If Shikaku Nara and Jiraiya of the Sannin are drafting a marriage contract, I would bet my first born son that they wrote several loopholes it in that could be exploited." **

* * *

"I must thank the three of you for seeing me today. I have a matter of the greatest importance that I wish to discuss with you," said Jiraiya. "It concerns a mission that we are trying to coordinate. I must ask that you treat any information I provide with the utmost confidentiality."

"I can promise you, Hokage-sama that no mention of what we speak of in this room will leave my lips," said Okami.

"You can count on my discretion as well, Jiraiya," said Kaba Hato.

"And I," said Hiashi Hyuga.

"As you may or may not be aware, the shinobi world has been hovering on the brink of war for many years. A new and fearsome adversary has been jockeying for power. Their presence and activities have disrupted the fragile alliances between the great shinobi villages. This organization is called the Akatsuki. It is comprised of S-Rank missing nin from villages all over the shinobi world. I'm sorry to say that Orochimaru of the Sannin is one of their members."

"Orochimaru? I wasn't aware of this," said Kaba. "This is serious news indeed."

"The Akatsuki thus far have focused their efforts on capturing the most powerful weapon available to a ninja village: our jinchuriki."

This revelation didn't seem to have the desired shock and awe that Jiraiya expected. Hiashi was already aware of the situation; however, the noblemen were not. Okami looked at his father questioningly. Kaba spoke for the both of them. "You'll have to forgive my ignorance in this matter, Jiraya, but what is a jinchuriki? I have never heard this term before."

"It's an S-class village secret. Okami will be the next daimyo and no doubt you will be his advisor, so I don't believe myself to be betraying the village by revealing this to you," began Jiraiya. "A jinchuriki is a ninja who has a tailed beast sealed inside of them."

"Wait! What?" Kaba interrupted in shock. "A tailed beast? You can't be serious. That is much too dangerous. I'm surprised that the daimyo has allowed this sort of behavior from the Fire Country's Shinobi village."

"Tailed beast," said Okami in confusion. "I've never heard that term before. What's that?"

Kaba turned to his son and said, "You know the story of the Nine Tailed Demon Fox's rampage throughout Konoha seventeen years ago."

"Yes, of course," said Okami. "That monster destroyed much of the village before the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze sacrificed his life to defeat the monster. It's a dark stain in the history of this village."

"These shinobi fools have been sealing beasts like that inside themselves."

"That's monstrous!" Okami gasped out. "That is much too risky a move to make. When I become daimyo, I will outlaw this practice and have these monsters destroyed once and for all!"

Kaba turned his keen eyes on Jiraiya. "What does this Akatsuki organization do with these monsters?"

Clearing his throat, Jiraiya explained, "The Akatsuki extracts the tailed beasts from their hosts, and then seals them for their own use. We do not know what the Akatsuki plans to do with this power, but you can be assured that it will not bode well for Konoha . The group that possesses these beasts can wield unfathomable power."

"And how many are there and how many have been captured thus far?" Kaba asked.

"There are nine tailed beasts and seven of them have been captured by the Akatsuki."

"Only two left then," muttered Okami.

Kaba looked at Jiraiya intently. "You said _our_ jinchuriki. Surely we haven't participated in this savage practice?"

Jiraiya raised his eyebrows meaningfully. "Konoha is home to the jinchuriki of the nine tailed demon fox. Kumo is home to the junchiriki of the eight tailed Giant Ox."

"What?" gasped out Okami. "Are you mad? That is the same demon that almost destroyed the village. I hope that the jinchuriki with that monster sealed inside him is locked up somewhere."

"I must assure you that it is completely safe," said Jiraiya. "Our jinchuriki has remarkable control over the beast."

"Who is the jinchuriki of the Demon Fox, Jiraiya," asked Kaba.

"I'm afraid that I cannot tell you that. That is beyond the knowledge that is necessary for this conversation."

"I demand that you tell us, Jiraiya," shouted Okami. "As the daimyo's heir I command you."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot do that," repeated Jiraiya.

"Then rest assured that I will speak with my uncle about this travesty!" Okami growled, standing up from his seat. He would have marched to the door if his father hadn't gotten his attention with his next question to the Hokage.

"Then why are we here? What do you require of us?"

"Yes, thank you, Kaba. I will bring up the reason for our meeting now," said Jiraiya. "Won't you have a seat, Okami-san." Okami turned around and stalked back to his seat. He didn't look remotely pleased about the situation. Clearing his throat, Jiraiya said, "The Akatsuki is now focusing on their money making operations. They are planning to enter a high stakes poker tournament in Crescent Moon Country. The entrance fee for the tournament is 100 million ryo and there will be ten players. If the Akatsuki enter and win this tournament, they will walk away with 1 billion ryo. That is more than enough to buy an army. This is very dangerous for the stability of Fire Country and the rest of the shinobi world."

Kaba leaned back in his chair. "You want us to pay for a seat at the table," he said, stating the implicit question. "Did the daimyo refuse you? What are the other nations going to do about all this?"

Jiraiya folded his hands on his desk. "Kumo will be sending along one team and the diamyo has offered to pay the entrance fee for one player. However, we think it would be risking too much to only have one seat at the table occupied by a Konoha ninja. We would like to send two players if at all possible."

"That's an awfully risky move that you're asking us to make," said Kaba. "The Hato family is wealthy, but even we would notice a drop of 100 million ryo in our coffers, even if there is a chance to have a 900% return on our investment."

"Theoretically the expected payoff of the investment is equal to the principle," said Hiashi. "You pay 100 million ryo and then you have a 90% chance of winning nothing and a 10% change of winning 1 billion ryo. Theoretically you should be indifferent to the risk."

"If only it was that simple," Kaba sighed.

"I don't see how this would benefit us," replied Okami. "What do we get in return?"

Jiraiya coughed uncomfortably. "That's why I asked Hiashi to be here as well. It has come to my attention that the Hyuga and Hato families may soon be united by the marriage of your children. This will strengthen our ties with the feudal lord and his family. In fact one of our future daimyo may possess the Byakugan. With this in mind, I was hoping that this could be worked into the bride price or as a gift to the village of Konoha for the wedding."

"I suppose if we presented it in this context that would be alright with me," said Kaba. "We'll have to sit down and draft the marriage contract as well as a contract for this 100 million ryo with the city of Konoha. The matter of who would receive the 1 billion ryo in winnings could be a point of contention."

"Agreed," said Jiraiya. "Perhaps we can sit together tomorrow afternoon to draft this? I will bring my legal representation with me."

"I can represent my family and their interests. No doubt the three Hyuga clan councilmen will wish to be present as well."

Hiashi looked haunted for a moment before nodding and saying, "Tomorrow afternoon."

* * *

Neji wiped his forehead with the small towel he had brought with him to his sparing session. It was a bright and hot day in Konoha; he had worked up a sweat. It was always a challenge sparing against a sensory type ninja from the Hyuga clan. Tokuma was adept at masking his chakra and jamming Neji's Byakugan.

Neji looked at the ground in front of him with a sigh. Tokuma chuckled, "You're not still sore about that hit I got in, are you? You need to be careful not to trust your Byakugan too much. Once someone understands how your dojutsu works, it's easy to conjure up false images to confuse you. Uchiha Shisui used to do it to me all the time when he was the captain of my squad."

"I need to focus more on sensing chakra besides seeing chakra," Neji agreed.

"Are you heading out on any missions soon? Would you still be up for a spar tomorrow? Hokage-sama's stealing Ino away for some special mission, so we're off the roster for a couple days."

"We're a man down and Itachi and Shikamaru are going on that same mission, so I'll be twiddling my thumbs for the imminent future."

Tokuma scratched the back of his head. "I wonder if I could steal you in for the fourth member of our squad. You've worked with Kiba and Shino before, so it would be a pretty seamless substitution." Tokuma glanced down the street that Neji usually turned down and eyed him curiously. "Not heading home just yet?"

Wrapping his hitai-ate around his hand, Neji looked ahead towards the Hyuga clan head's home. "No, Uncle Hiashi wanted me to help Hanabi with something before she heads out for the chunin exams tomorrow morning."

"Oh, that's right," said Tokuma. "I forgot that Shisui-sempai's squad was entering the exam this year. I hope it goes well. Where's it being held this year?"

"Kumo."

Tokuma did a couple take. "What? And Lord Hiashi's letting Hanabi go? Even after the kidnapping attempt on Hinata?"

Neji looked up at the house. One of the windows on the upper story opened and Hinata leaned out, pushing aside the shutters. "It's been fifteen years. But we're not taking any chances. I've been asked to paint a fake Branch seal on Hanabi's forehead. We're hoping that'll offer some protection at least."

Tokuma eyed the seal on Neji's forehead. Tokuma was also a member of the Branch House and like the Branch House head, he covered the mark with his hitai-ate. "You're not going to actually give her the seal are you?"

"We're just going to use green dye. Should wash off after a week or two."

"Sounds nice," Tokuma smiled wryly. "Well this is where I turn off. See you later."

Neji continued up the road until he reached the house. Taking off his shoes at the front door and placing them in one of the cubbies, he padded down the hall making little noise on the tatami mats.

After Hinata's disastrous meeting with the Hyuga councilmen the other day, Neji was surprised to hear soft voices coming from the meeting room. He wasn't aware that there was a meeting. He lingered in the doorway to listen in.

"I'm glad that you've finally decided to see things our way, Hiashi," said Kaede Hyuga of the Main House Council.

"I hope that I have made it plain to all of you how displeased I am about this entire affair," came Hiashi's voice from the inner room.

"Displeased, Hiashi?" came the taunting voice of Kioshi Hyuga. "The Hyuga clan is a powerful clan. We've given Hinata more than enough chances; we cannot continue being so soft. You knew that this day would come."

"Hinata has worked very hard. Last year she became a Tokubetsu Jonin!" said Hiashi.

"Tokubetsu yes, not a full jonin," said Kioshi Hyuga.

"Yet another instance of Hinata failing to meet our expectations," agreed Mitsui Hyuga.

"But to marry her off to Okami Hato! How could I ever face her again after telling her the news? It makes me sick to my stomach," said Hiashi.

Kaede Hyuga chuckled amusedly. "Somehow I doubt that you'll lose too much sleep over it."

Neji was sure that his heart had stopped in his chest. He had so ardently hoped that the whole thing was a falsehood. But Hiashi had given into the three Main House Councilmembers. Hinata would have to marry Okami Hato.

He hurried away to tell Hinata.

* * *

"There is the matter of that first man that she was promised to," began Hiashi.

"Didn't we agree, Hiashi, that we wouldn't speak of that?" asked Kaede Hyuga. "What's in the past is past. The whole affair was tragic indeed. But for the Hyuga not to press our advantage would have been foolishness. Neji is no longer listening in on our conversation. Say whatever you want, it will change nothing."

"But the Third Hokage-"

"Is dead," said Hyuga Kaede.

"And Fugaku Uchiha," continued Hiashi.

"Is also dead," countered Hyuga Kioshi.

"We may not have been involved in the accident, but it's not wrong of us to take advantage of it," counseled Hyuga Kaede. "That agreement was an abomination. The Third Hokage took advantage of our position as the wealthiest clan in Konoha to offer our hard earned wealth as a bargaining chip to a savage clan. The Third Hokage forced our hand. We would not have agreed to it otherwise."

"You would have rather had a civil war that to hand over a small portion of our wealth to another clan?" said Hiashi in disgust.

"We did what we thought was right at the time," said Hyuga Kaede. "And now we are doing what we think is right. It will all work out fine in the end."

"But what if someone else finds out about the original Treaty? It could cause a civil war. We should just own up to the treaty. Reveal the Treaty's existence to Jiraiya and Uchiha Itachi."

"That would not be wise," said Hyuga Kaede. "Now that we've signed an agreement with Okami Hato, presenting that Treaty would cause a civil war. Do you really wish to pit the Hyuga clan and the Uchiha clan against the diamyo's heir?"

"You're despicable," said Hiashi.

"There's no danger of the original treaty being discovered," said Hyuga Kioshi. "Sora Hyuga did a good job of destroying the evidence on our command. The Hokage's and the Uchiha clan's copies of the treaty have both been destroyed."

"And then Uchiha Itachi did a good job of destroying Hyuga Sora for us," chuckled Hyuga Kaede.

"Hinata's marriage to Hato Okami was fated. All of the pieces fell into place so conveniently. I still can't believe how it all turned out. Having Itachi kill his father and the other witnesses was just the icing on the cake," said Hyuga Mitsui.

"Who knew that Shimura Danzo could be so useful? Spreading the poison about the Uchiha clan to the Third Hokage after the treaty was signed," began Hyuga Kaede.

"He always wanted to the Sharingan," said Hyuga Kioshi. "It wasn't too difficult to convince him of the benefits of eliminating several key members of the Uchiha clan."

"Danzo being there at the same time was just the icing on the cake," laughed Hyuga Kaede. "He must have gotten overeager. What an idiot for getting the time of the assassination wrong. All of us knew to stay away from the Konoha Police building that day. As you said, it was fated," agreed Hyuga Kaede.

"I still have a copy of that scroll," threatened Hiashi. "If you don't release Hinata from this marriage, I will go to Jiraiya with it."

"You'd just love that, wouldn't you," said Kaede. "We might not have discovered where you'd hidden it yet, but it would be your word against ours. No one else knows of the document. We would just say that it was a forgery. It's easy enough to use the Sharingan to copy handwriting. I would say that you and Uchiha Itachi are conspiring against us."

"You bastard," growled Hiashi.

"Keep in mind, Hiashi," continued Kaede, "that you have two daughters. If you put a toe out of line in this business of Hinata's marriage, we'll arrange a marriage treaty for Hanabi as well. Be glad that we're generous enough to let you keep one of your daughters and allow her to become the next clan head. We don't have to be so generous."

* * *

Shisui was already sitting outside the Hokage's office when Kakashi arrived, approximately an hour late. Shisui of the Body Flicker, like some of the other male jonin and chunin, enjoyed chatting up the pretty young things that Jiraiya hired as his receptionists. The girls were usually recently promoted chunins. It was amazing that they ever got anything done with all the flirting that seemed to go in. Jiraya didn't get to join in the fun, because Tsunade would pound him into flour if he tried anything with one the girls. Nonetheless, the Hokage always said that if he had to sit around doing paperwork, he wanted something nice to look at.

The girl manning the desk in front of the Hokage's office and organizing appointments for the day was quite pretty, with a cascade of flowing black hair and bright blue eyes. She looked to be maybe fifteen. She was gazing enraptured at Shisui, one of the most famous and promising ninja to come out of the Uchiha clan in some time. Letting out a dreamy yet discontented sigh, she pouted her lips a bit in his direction.

Shisui's attention was consumed by the tokubetsu jonin sitting next to him with one long legs crossed over the other and a hand buried deep in the fur of one of her faithful ninja hounds. The three massive grey furred beasts looked more like wolves than dogs. One sat next to the woman with its head in her lap and its eyes closed as she rubbed behind his ears. Another lay at her feet, eyeing Shisui suspiciously and the third was lounging with the huge white furred ninja hound sitting at the feet of the two ANBU members guarding the door.

Although she was not wearing the shirt of the Konoha Military Police with the Police star and Uchiha crest prominent on the shoulder, her affiliation with to group was clear by the small badge pinned on her leather vest. The vest was zipped down allowing a glimpse of her mesh undershirt and cleavage.

"So how are things down at the station, Hana?" asked Shisui with a wide grin from the seat next to her. Kakashi noted how Shisui's arm was resting casually on the back of the woman's chair. "Uncle Kenta was saying something about an important case."

Inuzuka Hana replied, "Nothing we can't handle. We're consulting on a case from a small village near the border of River Country. Grisly murder, we suspect the unsub might be a shinobi."

"Getting Jiraiya's opinion on the matter?"

"Maybe, maybe not," said Hana with an enigmatic smile.

"So when you're interrogating these unsubs, do you usually play the good cop or the bad cop?"

She glanced down at the dog at her feet. The huge wolf-like hound stood up slowly and advanced on Shisui, opening its gaping maw to show razor sharp teeth. "I always play the bad cop."

Shisui leered. "Almost makes me want to get taken in. That sounds really hot." He tried to hide his flinch as the beast brought its head up close to his face.

Hana laughed and rubbed the head of the dog before saying, "Down you, you're scaring this poor shinobi. Teaching that genin cell must have made him soft."

Staring the huge beast in the eye, Shisui turned his head to glance sideways at the kunoichi. "So where do you keep your extra pair of handcuffs? I didn't notice them on your belt."

Hana looked amused at his question. She shifted her legs and the dog in her lap sat back. She leaned forward and gripped Shisui's chin in her hand, forcing him to look at her. The tattoos gleamed under the overhead lights as she smiled with all her teeth. "Attached to my headboard of course."

Shisui's couldn't keep himself from grinning. His response was cut off by the door to the Hokage's office finally opening. Hyuga Hiashi walked out with the three members of the Hyuga clan council. They ignored the group of shinobi standing at the door before gliding down the hall gracefully.

Nara Shikaku poked his head out the door. "Good Kakashi's here already. Sorry to keep you waiting, our previous appointment took a little bit longer than expected." Turning to Hana, he said, "Thank you for arriving so quickly. Why don't you all come in? Don't want to fall farther behind schedule."

Hana released Shisui and rose gracefully from her chair. She walked into the office, not sparing Shisui a backwards glance. All three of her dogs watched Shisui warily before trailing after the girl. Kakashi shook his head in amusement before heading into the office himself.

Shisui lingered in the doorway and turned to the ANBU with the wolf mask and the white furred ninja hound. Every muscle in the ANBU's body seemed tense. Shisui remarked to the wolf-masked ANBU as he passed, "Damn, Kiba, your sister is so sexy."

The door closed behind him, muffling the ANBU's growl. Hana was already speaking with Jiraiya when he entered. Jiraiya was sitting at his desk with his advisor Shikaku leaning against the back wall with his arms crossed over his chest. "… I haven't noticed an increase in reports since they arrived. However, I believe there may be an increase in non-reporting. We've had four civilian girls in the station this week to report sexual assaults and then they all changed their minds an hour or so later when we were about to assign a case worker."

Shikaku spoke up from behind the Hokage's chair. "Do you think that they were crying wolf or that their silence was being bought?"

"The latter," said Hana. "I was assigned to the second girl and was cleaning her up when she had the change of heart. I didn't see any words exchanged, but she looked at the window and her eyes widened. Then she turned to me and said that it was a misunderstanding and she didn't want to file a report."

"Did you follow up about it?"

"Yes, of course. She was adamant about not pressing charges. A day later a huge sum of money was transferred to her family's bank account. I was able to trace it back to the Hato family."

"Well that's concerning," said Jiraiya. "But we can't charge them with anything because none of the girls will press charges."

"Yes. I've spoken with all of them and they're simply too scared of him, the little swine. I wish I could do something about it. None of the girls is much older than seventeen."

"Thank you, Hana," said Jiraiya.

After the woman swept out of the room, Shikaku spoke from behind the Hokage's chair. "We should definitely add that clause to the prenup. If we can have one of the girls testify, we can get the money for the mission and except the girl from the arrangement. That along with the clause about existing engagements."

Jiraiya grinned, "I've gotten out of many an engagement by saying that I was already engaged to someone else. Tsunade was always my secret wife in those cases. She was always damned difficult to find and too scary to be trifled with for divorce papers."

Kakashi and Shisui glanced sideways at each other. Kakashi cleared his throat to get their attention. Jiraiya turned his head to look at the two jonin standing in his office. "I haven't forgotten about you. We'll be sending Team Shisui and Team Ebisu to Kumo as the Konoha representatives in the chunin exams that they will be holding next week. I will also be sending Kakashi's ANBU team. They will help guard the genin on the way to the village and while they're there, Naruto will be training with the Eight-Tails jinchuriki."

Kakashi was visibly surprised. His single eyebrow lifted emphatically. "They finally agreed to that? I'm surprised they would."

"With the Akatsuki closing in and the Shinobi World on the brink of the Fourth Great Ninja War, they were able to see reason," replied Shikaku. "We have a different mission for you Kakashi, so Yamato will be acting as Team captain. Neji Hyuga will be joining the team in your stead."

Shisui flicked his eyes to the left and right, verifying that only he and Kakashi were present in the office. "Will you be passing this news onto Ebisu later or would you like me to?"

"He's coming in during the afternoon. If we can tear him away from the Hot Springs. I presume that he's trying to get his fill on peeking on the women there before he leaves for Kumo tomorrow," Jiraiya theorized.

* * *

Sasuke found himself in front of Uchiha Kagami's house again. His mother had sent Sasuke over with some reports for the Uchiha clan councilman and Konoha councilman to sign. Sasuke didn't mind running the errands for his mother. It just gave him an excuse to visit Kagami again. He had a lingering question about his father's assassination that hadn't yet been answered.

Kagami answered Sasuke's knock this time. The white haired retired shinobi smiled at the Uchiha clan heir and waved him in. "I wasn't expecting you to be the delivery boy. Thank you for bringing these over for me."

Placing the papers into Kagami's hands, Sasuke slouched in with his hands in his pockets. The hallway was quiet. Seeming to sense the young man's question, Kagami said, "Masaru and Kosho are completing some last minute preparations for the chunin exam and the trip to Kumo. Would you like to come in? I can boil some water for tea."

"Sure," Sasuke replied, following Kagami towards the room in the back of the house which served as the kitchen.

After filling up the kettle and setting it on a burner, Kagami set out two mugs on the counter. "I assume that you still have some questions for me about those events surrounding your father's death."

Sasuke leaned back against the counter as Kagami turned to face him. Watching Kagami carefully, Sasuke asked, "What was Danzo's involvement in the assassination? He wasn't supposed to be there that night was he? I've already spoken with Itachi about the assassination. He doesn't know about Danzo's involvement."

Kagami's eyes widened in surprise. "Shimura Danzo. Shimura Danzo. He wasn't too pleased with my inclusion on the Konoha village council. When there seemed to be little resolution to the Uchiha problem, as he called it, he urged the Hokage to purge the bad blood from Konoha. He wanted the entire Uchiha clan wiped out, down to the last child. Koharu and Homura were all for it. He had them wrapped around his finger. Hiruzen was ill at ease with the idea.

"Naturally, I was vehemently opposed. Why should the Uchiha children be punished for crimes they didn't commit? Was it right to kill my grandson for the sins of a handful of selfish men? Luckily, I was able to persuade Hiruzen to see things my way. We decided to assassinate the leaders of the coup instead of causing a massacre. Uchiha Itachi was a member of the ANBU forces who had inherited the Will of Fire. The Uchiha clan could be turned back into the light under his leadership."

"But why was he there that day?" wondered Sasuke.

"Danzo was always more interested in power than sense. He was obsessing about the timeline for the massacre and was trying to get an idea of when it would be safe to enter the building again. It had never been proven, but during the years of the Third Shinobi War, Danzo was implicated in a scandal in which the bodies of deceased Uchiha clansmen were desecrated and their Sharingan stolen. I had a suspicion that Danzo wanted to harvest more Sharingan eyes."

"Disgusting," spat Sasuke.

"My thoughts exactly," agreed Kagami. "So I spoke with Itachi about his timeline for the assassination and passed the word onto Danzo. I might have gotten some of the times and details of the assassination a little mixed up."

"So you killed him," concluded Sasuke.

"I ensured his demise. It was the only way to protect my family, my clan and my village. Who knows what mischief Danzo might have schemed up next."

"Was the Hyuga clan involved in all this?"

Now it was Kagami's turn to look surprised. "That Hyuga clan? Not that I know of."

The sound of the kettle boiling caused both shinobi to flinch. As Kagami prepared to pour the tea, Sasuke shook his head and said, "I don't feel very thirsty anymore. I can show myself out."

On his way back to his mother's home, the thoughts whirled around in his head begging for his attention. His brother had killed their father to prevent civil war and to ensure that the rest of his clan wouldn't be slaughtered. Kagami, fearing the machinations of the most powerful councilmember, had ensured the death of Shimura Danzo.

The young Uchiha heir felt a shiver run down his spine. Both actions were no doubt justified, but what would he have done if he found himself in Itachi's or Kagami's place? When it came down to it, would he be able to do what was best for the village even if it wasn't necessarily what was best for him? Could he bury his heart like his brother had in order to do what needed to be done?

* * *

Neji caught Hinata slipping out her bedroom window. "I won't ask why you're sneaking out the window," drawled Neji. "I'm sure that you have a perfectly reasonable explanation for it."

Hinata started and almost lost her grip on the shutter. Noting that it was her cousin, she sighed in relief. "Thank Kami, it's only you, Neji."

Crossing his arms behind his back, Neji said, "I heard something today when I was passing the Council of Elders meeting room. I wanted to tell you about it."

"The Hyuga elders have just gone inside. I don't know when I'll have another chance to sneak out to see Ino. Can this wait?" Hinata asked as she leaned further out the window, balancing on the outside wall with her sandals. She stepped outside onto the side of the building.

"It's important, Hinata," said Neji. "It's about Hato Okami."

Hinata poked her head in the window and gripped the shutter for balance. "What about him?"

"Your father and the elders have arranged your marriage to him."

This time Hinata did lose her grip on the windowsill. She hung for a moment in space before she gripped the shutter again in a death grip. "What did you say?"

"They've promised you to him," Neji repeated.

"B-but I-" Hinata sighed unhappily. Her knuckles were white from her tight grip on the shutter. "I'm sad to say that I'm not surprised. It's a comfort that all the cards are on the table now. No use in delaying the inevitable."

"Don't speak like that, Hinata," Neji said. "We might still be able to find a way out of this."

Hinata sighed unhappily.

* * *

Choji was munching anxiously on his chips as he walked with her up the stairs to Jiraiya's office. Ino had known Choji and Shikamaru for so long that she was easily able to tell when Choji's chip munching betrayed anxiety or a slight lift of Shikamaru's eyebrow betrayed annoyance.

"Ino," said Choji. "Have you ever been on an S-Rank mission before?"

Ino shook her head. "No. I've never been on one. But we'll be with the Shikamaru and Asuma. We've been a team for so many years, I'm confident that Team Asuma will be a sure match for any Akatsuki team. Besides, Kakashi-sensei and Itachi-sempai will be there too. It'll be fine."

Choji munched unhappily. "I'm still nervous. I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen."

Ino was surprised to see Hinata sitting outside the Hokage's office when she walked up. Hinata was wearing her medical coat still. She must have come straight over from the hospital. The Hyuga girl jumped up in surprise when Ino and Choji walked over.

"Ino? Choji?" wondered Hinata. "What are you two doing here?"

"Same thing as you, I suppose," said Ino. "We're here for a mission assignment."

The chunin at the desk in front of Jiraiya's office looked up from filing her nails. She glanced down at the document in front of her and said, "If all three of you are here, you can go inside. They're waiting for you."

Ino nodded at the girl and opened the door for the others. Jiraiya was sitting at his desk talking with Asuma, Kakashi, Itachi, and Shikamaru when they walked in. The conversation broke off when the three newcomers walked in.

"Good, you're all here," said Jiraiya.

Ino went to stand next to Shikamaru, who handed her a scroll. Hinata lingered awkwardly next to her. The blonde haired kunoichi skimmed the mission assignment in her hands.

**Date Commissioned**: August 5th

**Mission Sponsor: **Jiraiya

**Date Assigned**: August 5th

**Date Completed**:

**Mission Rank**: S-Rank

**Mission Parameters**: Escort Hato Okami to Crescent Moon Country, Prevent the Akatsuki Team from winning the Poker Game, Win Poker Game if possible, Gather Intel about Akatsuki, Capture or Kill Akatsuki members if Possible.

**Team Assigned**: Alpha Team (Uchiha Itachi, Hyuga Hinata, Hatake Kakashi) – Beta Team (Sarutobi Asuma, Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Choji)

* * *

Hinata followed her father into the Hokage's office. It was the moment that she'd been dreading. Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shikaku were sitting behind the Hokage's desk. Kaba and Okami Hato sat in chairs in front of Jiraiya's desk. Okami leaned back in his chair with his arms stretched out over the back of the chair.

Hinata shuffled in, her elaborate kimono was restrictive around her calves, making movement difficult. As she walked in, Jiraiya, Shikaku, and the village elders were arguing about one clause in the marriage treaty.

"Let's take out that prior engagement clause in the prenup," said Kaede Hyuga. "I've heard how you've scheme up pretend engagements and wives to slip out of engagement, Jiraiya. Hinata and Okami have no prior arrangements with other families, so there's no need to have that clause in here."

Shikaku smiled wryly at Jiraiya and crossed out the line. "What about the clause concerning proper behavior?"

"That's insulting, Shikaku," said Kaba. "My son would never find himself in a position where that clause would even be necessary. He has not shamed himself or a woman in Konoha in anyway as described in the clause."

"Then you should be indifferent to its inclusion in the treaty," retorted Shikaku.

Kaba crossed his arms over his chest. "We're doing Konoha a great favor by fronting this one hundred million ryo buy-in for you mission in the Land of the Crescent Moon. You would waste our time with games like this. Adding that clause in the prenup invite unscrupulous woman in Konoha to take advantage of my son and break his marriage to the Hinata Hyuga. Please strike that from the treaty as well."

Shikaku frowned at Jiraiya, but crossed out those lines as well. He glanced back at the treaty. "Everything seems to be in order then."

"Can you read me the section about the settlement of winnings from the tournament again, Shikaku," asked Kaba.

Shikaku cleared his throat and read,_**"In the event that either Konoha team wins the Poker Tournament, the winnings will be divided as described below. The Fire Daimyo and the Hato family will both receive the one hundred million ryo buy-in that they fronted for Konoha. The remaining eight hundred million ryo will be split among the Fire Daimyo, the Hato Family, the village of Konoha, and the ninjas who participated in the mission. The Fire Daimyo and the Hato Family will each receive a further two hundred and fifty million ryo. The village of Konoha will receive one hundred million ryos. The ninja who won the tournament will be awarded twenty-five million ryos and all seven ninjas who participated in the mission will receive twenty-five million ryos."**_

"Everything seems to be in order then," said Kaede Hyuga. Turning to Hinata he said, "Come sign the contract, Hinata."

Okami stood up as well and used the kunai Kaede handed him to prick his finger to draw some blood into the ink well. Using the special quill, he signed his name on the marriage treaty in his blood. Hinata accepted the second ink well and quill and did the same. Her hands trembled as she signed her name beneath Okami's.

* * *

"I would give anything to see that Marriage Treaty that the Hyuga clan signed with the Hato family," whined Ino as she walked over to lean against the ship's railing next to Shikamaru.

They had disembarked from the port nearest to Konoha only that morning. The merchant vessel was on the way to the Land of the Crescent Moon. They would arrive with plenty of time to familiarize themselves with the casinos in the area and formulate their plan to thwart the Akatsuki.

Shikamaru glanced sideways at her. They two of them were alone on the deck of the ship. The seabreeze tossed her hair beautifully. He was sure that her skin tasted like salt. Kami, he was so pathetic.

"I've told you before not to get involved in it, Ino," Shikamaru commented. "No good can come of it."

Ino turned to her friend, her eyes flashing. "But if I know what's on the Treaty, maybe I can help Hinata to get out of the marriage to that odious man. There must be a loophole or something."

Shikamaru snorted, "As if Kaba Hato would allow a loophole to be written into the Treaty. He's not a simpleton.

Ino pointed a finger at him. "I know for a fact that your father was involved in the drafting of that Treaty. If Shikaku Nara and Jiraiya of the Sannin are drafting a marriage contract, I would bet my first born son that they wrote several loopholes it in that could be exploited. Kami, I wouldn't be surprised at all that Jiraiya's drafted a bunch of marriage treaties that he was later able to wriggle out of."

"I hope you don't go around betting your first born son like that," said Shikamaru with no small amount of horror. He didn't think it necessary to mention that he hoped said son was his son too.

"Only on bets that I know I'll win," countered Ino. "Are you sure that you know nothing about the marriage treaty, Shikamaru? Your father didn't talk about it with you at all?"

"I didn't say that," Shikamaru said.

Ino pounced on him. Grabbing his upper arms in a vice like grip, Ino whispered, "Tell me! I'll do anything!"

"Anything?" Shikamaru asked, completely failing to hide his smirk.

"If you keep trying to trade in sexual favors with me, Shikamaru Nara, I'm going to start wondering about you," Ino quipped.

Shikamaru didn't notice the presence of Asuma-sensei and Kakashi-sensei behind them until it was too late. The two jonin had of course heard the whole exchange. Asuma was going to tease Shikamaru endlessly about this. Shikamaru dreaded to think what Kakashi-sensei was going to think about it. He would probably tell Jiraiya and then Shikamaru and Ino would become characters in that next Icha Icha book that the Hokage was always threatening to write. Troublesome.

But it would be totally worth it if it worked.

Asuma coughed loudly. "Yes, Shikamaru. I thought that I taught you better."

"Oh, piss off, you two," said Ino annoyed. "Shikamaru and I are having an important conversation."

"Everyone's always impressed by your mad crazy kunoichi skills, Ino, but you should know better than to try them out on poor Shikamaru here," teased Kakashi.

"If you do, we'll have to tell your father and that is one conversation that I would like to avoid," continued Asuma.

"So says the man who knocked up Kurenai-sensei and is still yet to marry her. You're no better, Asuma."

"Now-" began Kakashi.

"Don't even get me started on you, Kakashi," said Ino.

"Point taken," muttered Kakashi to himself.

"Yeah, yeah, girlie," said Asuma. "I'm sure that Shikamaru's brain is very impressive, but you shouldn't trade his tactical advice for sexual favors. It's just not right."

Ino put a hand on her hip challengingly. "Who says that it's only his brain that's impressive, Asuma-sensei?"

"Kami, my ears," said Asuma. Shikamaru blushed bright red. Kakashi looked amused, muttering to himself that this was better than Icha Icha. He would have to tell Jiraiya all about this.

"Now shoo, sensei! Shikamaru and I are trying to have a conversation."

"She's scary when she gets like that," said Asuma to Kakashi. "Good luck, Shika. Don't do anything that I wouldn't do."

Ino raised a manicured eyebrow. "Why Asuma-sensei, I didn't know you felt that way about me."

Asuma looked half seasick and half embarrassed. "I'll just go now."

"Please do," snapped Ino. Turning back to Shikamaru with a predatory grin, she said, "Now, why don't we go somewhere private to…talk."

Shikamaru couldn't stop his face from lighting up in a bright red blush. He tried to ignore the thumbs up that Kakashi gave him.

* * *

**A/N: This is a bit of a plot heavy chapter, but some fun Casino Royale ItaHina will be coming in the next chapter!**


	10. Chapter Nine - The Art of Deception

**Thank you to all my lovely reviewers! Sumtyms, Nino, aurora0914, sirenmergirl, NaviTheGoddess, reneelg1963, evil-x-love, and Guest  
**

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

**The Art of Deception**

**a.k.a "A shinobi must see the hidden meaning within the hidden meanings."**

* * *

The light of the morning sun shone in through the break in the curtains. She sighed sleepily and snuggled up against the man sleeping beside her. She glanced up at his face through her eyelashes. Content that Itachi was still sleeping, she shifted closer to him. His arm was draped across her lower back. His chest rose and fell against hers.

He'd volunteered to sleep on the floor and give her the king sized bed, but she refused. They hadn't done anything except sleep in each other's arms last night; however, the warmth of his body against hers and the gentle whisper of conversation before she drifted off in his arms made her think that anything could be possible. She wasn't engaged to that odious nobleman. She wasn't on thin ice with her clan elders. She was warm and safe in Itachi Uchiha's arms. Her limit was the sky.

She shifted out of bed and went to take a shower. They would wander around the casino resort together today before the poker tournament started that evening. It was going to take a while showering, doing her hair, and disguising her eyes, so she decided to get an early start.

Stepping out of the shower, she wrapped a fluffy white robe around herself as she dried her hair. She opened the door to the bedroom and walked over to her suitcase to get the seals that Tokuma Hyuga provided her. She applied one to each of her temples and pressed into them with chakra. Squeezing her eyes against the agony of the fuuinjutsu activation, she couldn't help the gasp of pain.

When Tokuma had demonstrated the technique for her, his resulting eye color was grey. He'd been surprised that hers was such a bright and unusual shade of purple. Her Byakugan must have had purple undertones rather than the silver undertones typically found in her relatives. This technique was for infiltration missions to disguise the Hyuga's very noticeable white eyes. Unfortunately it only caused Hinata to have noticeable purple eyes instead of white ones.

She uncapped the small bottle of eye drops on the counter. The transformation made her eyes dry. She tilted back her dark head and put a drop into each eye. Closing her eyes and titling her head forward, she stilled for a moment. She opened her eyes and blinked at her reflection in the mirror. She would never get used to her violet eyes.

She startled when she noticed his reflection appear in the mirror behind her. "That's uncanny," Itachi said leaning against the door.

She blinked at her reflection in the mirror, wiping away an errant eye drop from under her eye. "It looks unnatural," she murmured.

He turned her towards him, staring deep into her eyes. "You look ethereal, like the goddess Tsukuyomi."

* * *

The first portion of the chunin exams began the next day. The genin teams were ushered into a large room in the building to the left of the Raikage's tower and arranged along rectangular tables in groups of five.

Hanabi was separated from the other two members of her team. There were many rows of tables for the exam. Hanabi would have guessed that as many as thirty-five teams arrayed along the tables. The vast majority of them were teams from Kumo – Hanabi had counted fifteen teams of Cloud ninjas as she, Kosho and Aoshiso milled about in the atrium with the rest of the genin teams.

There were fifteen from Kumo, the four from Konoha and two apiece from the other great Shinobi villages - the remaining ten or so teams came from villages whose symbols she didn't recognize. Focusing again on the white test paper face down on the desk in front of her, Hanabi watched as the Kumo jounin wrote the instructions for the written portion of the exam down on the board.

**Chunin Written Exam**

**1.) There are five questions. **

**2.) You receive one point for each correct answer. **

**3.) One point will be deducted for each instance of cheating. **

**4.) Your team will pass this portion of the exam only if your entire team receives at least eleven points.**

"Begin!" the man barked out. Hanabi flipped over her test paper and grabbed her pencil, ready to begin.

The first question was about medical ninjutsu.

**You have tried to control a teammate's bleeding with direct pressure and elevation, but the bleeding doesn't stop. Where would you apply pressure to slow the flow of blood to a wound on the forearm?**

Hanabi didn't have any training in medical ninjutsu. She could try to guess and get the question wrong or try her chances at a question that she had a better chance of getting correct. Her team needed eleven points to pass. Luckily Aoshiso was the medical ninja on their team. He would probably know the answer to this question.

The second question was about topography and geology. Hanabi didn't have too much knowledge about that either.

**In a cliff, you see coal near the base, then sandstone above it, then limestone, then sandstone again, and finally coal near the top. This pattern most likely means what?**

The third question was even more difficult. It was some sort of cipher that she had to decode. It was four lines long and provided no key.

**M IJQZGTQ SWIP MLKMYI NWP PJO SQIIQGZ VQBIP.**

**M IJQZGTQ SWIP ZODOB IJGK OSGPQGZ.**

**M IJQZGTQ SWIP ZODOB UWOIPQGZ PJOQB AGSSMZHOB.**

**M IJQZGTQ SWIP NBONMBO TOVGBO QP QI PGG LMPO PG.**

Well that looked extremely advanced. Glancing down to the next question, she was dismayed to find that it was even more difficult than the previous one.

**A kunai is thrown with an initial velocity of 20 m/s at an angle of 40 degrees above the horizontal. Find its horizontal and vertical displacements 1.1 seconds after launch.**

As Hanabi glanced at the fifth question she felt a horrible feeling of helplessness. This was the most difficult question yet. She didn't know a single one these questions!

**Suppose that the number of missions successfully completed in a year by a certain shinobi follows a Binomial distribution with mean 4 and variance 3. The payment for each mission follows a gamma distribution with mean 50,000 and variance 500,000,000. What is the probability that a shinobi will receive more than 350,000 ryo in payment for missions during the upcoming year?**

Glancing up at the chalk board with the directions written in a precise hand, Hanabi paused to consider the situation. A shinobi must see the hidden meaning within the hidden meanings. It was impossible for a genin level ninja to get much more than one or two of these questions correct. They were much too advanced. The majority of these questions required jounin level knowledge of topography, applied mathematics, and cryptography.

In addition, only one point was deducted for cheating. In any other test, the person caught cheating would be thrown out of the exam for being caught. Peering around the room at the large number of Kumo chunin gripping their clip boards eagerly, Hanabi could finally feel the pieces coming together in her head.

A shinobi must see the hidden meaning within the hidden meanings.

The proctors wanted them to cheat. How else could each team get eleven points? Only one point was deducted for cheating.

So the question was: how to find the person with the answers?

* * *

Uchiha Itachi and Hyuga Hinata entered the private room reserved for the poker tournament arm in arm. She was resplendent in red silk. The bodice was tight across her chest and two straps came over her shoulders to be clasped by an elaborate brooch at the small of her back. The skirt flared out at her knees into a trumpet. Itachi had dressed in a black suit with a crimson and ebony marbled waistcoat to complement her gown.

Hinata was playing her part very well. She leaned against him as he went to cashier to get his chips, angling her body so her front pressed tantalizing against his side. Wrapping an arm around his waist, she whispered in his ear, "Two of the men here are consistent with intelligence we have about the Akatsuki. I can see Kakuzu of the Hidden Waterfall who Kakashi's team fought. He's speaking with a man who is consistent with sketches of Hidan. There are two other people standing with him that I don't recognize."

Itachi slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to himself. He balanced his tray with 100M ryo of chips in the other hand. He kissed his way up the column of her neck before remarking. "I can see them too. I don't recognize the blue haired woman or the orange haired man with them."

"Yes," Hinata whispered back breathlessly. Itachi chuckled before pulling back. The expression in her eyes was seductive in its innocence. She cleared her throat before running a hand up his chest to step close to him. "Do you see the team from the Cloud?"

Itachi nodded. As they neared the table, Itachi put the chips down on the table before leaning against it and pulling her closer. "Remember," he said. "We aren't supposed to know the other team from Konoha. Try to avoid making our connection with Team Asuma obvious."

"Alright," she whispered back. "Good luck, Itachi."

* * *

As the dealer began shuffling the cards at the table and the players began arranging their colorful stacks of chips, the moderator explained the rules. "Gentlemen and Lady Ito, you should have all collected your 100M ryo worth of chips now. If you lose all your chips, you will not be allowed to buy back into the competition. The tournament will take place over two days with three hour-long blind round each night. The blinds will increase from one blind round to the next. We will have a half hour intermission after each blind round of the night. The first blinds will be 500k/1M."

The dealer dealt everyone two cards. Shikamaru flipped the corner of his up – the king and six of clubs. The man to the left of the dealer threw in the 500k for the small blind and the man next to him threw in the 1M for the big blind.

The big blind this round was a man named Tanaka Akio. Ino had excitedly explained that the dashing blond haired man was a famous movie star. Shikamaru couldn't see what was so special about this Akio guy. Itachi was next; he threw in 1M to play the round.

Asuma had recognized the man who was sitting next to Itachi. He had explained to his former student that the man's name was Yakuza Takeo, an infamous crime boss from Tea Country. Like the member of the Akatsuki at the table, Takeo was no doubt there for nefarious reasons. He had brought two body guards with him. They both looked like dangerous fighters; however, they wouldn't be much match for ANBU trained ninja.

There was a man who owned a famous business from Fang Country. He sat between the crime boss and the Akatsuki member. There were also a number of men and a woman of noble blood. The Cloud Diamyo was playing as well as the son of Iron Country's Diamyo. He was there to have some fun with daddy's money. The nobleman from Grass Country sitting to the left of the dealer had introduced himself as Kuza Iwao. There was also a noblewoman from Crescent Moon Country itself, Hoshi Ito. The moderator had greeted her by name; she was the only woman at the table. Itachi and Shikamaru rounded out the ten people seated at the table.

Shikamaru was assuming the part of a notable poker tournament winner from Fire Country. Itachi, who was there with Hinata, Kakashi and Okami, was playing the part of a friend of the Diamyo's family who liked to partake in poker tournaments. The presence of Okami Hato helped to back up his cover story. The name Nara was rather innocuous, so he could easily slip into the part. The name Uchiha, on the other hand, was famous throughout the world as an illustrious ninja family. Therefore, several of the other players at the table knew that Itachi was a shinobi.

As a poker champion from Fire Country, it would have been difficult to explain the presence of two ninja body guards – Asuma and Choji. So the other members of Shikamaru's old team had taken jobs in the casino as bartenders for the event. Choji manned the front bar with the other bartenders and Asuma was working at the second bar across the room.

After the crime boss had tossed in a 1M black chip, he threw in a dark green chip and raised the bid 5M. Only two of the players at the table folded.

The dealer burned a card and turned over the flop: the seven of hearts, the four of diamonds and the six of hearts. The first two players called and then the crime boss, Yakuza Takeo, bet 3M. Three more players folded. Shikamaru and Itachi called. Shikamaru was curious to see that the Akatsuki member had folded.

On the turn, they got the king of hearts. Shikamaru's pair of sixes had become two pair - kings and sixes. The nobleman from the grass and Itachi both called. The crime boss bet 6M. Itachi, the Iron Country's Diamyo's son and Shikamaru all called the bet and threw in a dark green and a black chip.

After the dealer burned a final card, he flipped over the river card. Although he didn't show it on his face, Shikamaru was pleasantly surprised to see the six of clubs. His two pair had turned into a full house. Itachi was the first to bet. He looked at Yakuza Takeo carefully before betting 5M. The four players at the table called Itachi's bet.

Itachi flipped over his cards – the King of Clubs and the seven of spades. The dealer pulled them towards him and slid forward the King, seven and one of the sixes on the river. "Two pair, kings and sevens."

The crime boss, Yakuza Takeo, frowned and tossed in his pocket queens. The dealer slid forward the king and the two sixes. "A lesser two pair, queens and sixes."

The Diamyo's son from Iron Country looked abashed as he tossed his three of clubs and four of hearts. "Guess you weren't bluffing after all."

The dealer slid them towards him as well. Not needing to move the king and sixes, he said, "A lesser two pair, fours and sixes."

When it came to Shikamaru's turn, he flipped over his king and six. The dealer slid them towards himself and said, "A full house, kings full of sixes. Nara-san wins."

Shikamaru slid the large pile of chips towards himself and arranged them with his other chips. He was up 87M after one hand! Itachi had played Yakuza Takeo well, though it was a shame that Shikamaru had taken 20M of Itachi's chips. Why on earth had the man from Iron Country played that hand? Was he an idiot?

* * *

Hanabi had finished her test. She had all five answers. Activating her Byakugan, she looked around the room for her two Uchiha teammates. Kosho was several rows behind her. His red Sharingan eyes were fixed on her.

Was he using his clan's dojutsu to copy her answers? That was very clever. Glancing down at her test paper again, Hanabi wrote in the corner: **Are you using my answers?**

Kosho nodded. Putting her pencil to the paper again, she wrote: **Then we each have five questions right. We need eleven to get to the second round. Aoshiso needs one question right for us to pass.**

Kosho nodded and put his pencil to the paper to write something back. Hanabi read the message. **Check Aoshiso's status. How many questions does he have right?**

Their other Uchiha teammate had his shoulders hunched over his paper as he frantically scribbled. Could Aoshiso get one answer on his own? He didn't have the Sharingan like Kosho, but if he could cheat and still get one point, their team would pass. Maybe Hanabi could wander over and drop her paper off with Aoshiso. If he could copy her answers down quickly before she had to return to their seat then they could gain an extra three points. That would be enough to pass.

Searching Aoshiso's paper with her Byakugan, Hanabi read the answers. Aoshiso had gotten the medical ninjutsu question correct and was about to finish solving the cypher.

**"A shinobi must always put the mission first."**

**"A shinobi must never show emotion."**

**"A shinobi must never question their commander."**

**"A shinobi must prepare before it is too late to."**

He had known more of the questions than she did. She wouldn't have gotten any of them correct without the use of her Byakugan.

**Aoshiso's got two correct**. Hanabi wrote on her paper, hoping that Kosho got the message. Hanabi closed her eyes in relief as she erased the message at the top of their paper. They would make it to the next round.

* * *

Ino had decided to wear the black floor length silk dress for the first night of the competition. She had chosen a strapless one because it showed off her shoulders and back to best effect. She wore her long blonde hair down. It fell in an undulating golden wave down her back. The silk was gathered on the right with a brooch shaped like a bouquet of flowers. The black silk parted whenever she took a step, giving a glance of her right leg.

She leaned against the bar with a cosmopolitan balanced in her right hand. She had given Shikamaru a rum and coke before dropping a kiss on his check and congratulating him for his winnings so far. He had played one other hand that the crime boss from Tea Country, Yakuza Takeo, had won. Uchiha Itachi had quickly made up the money that he had lost in the first round to Shikamaru. He won the second and third rounds; his chip stack was about as high as Shikamaru's. Unfortunately, the Akatsuki member was as successful at winning as the ANBU captain. It seemed that part of the reason was that the son of the Iron Country Diamyo's son was horrible poker player. He was hemorrhaging chips.

"23M, all in!" the young man said, pushing in his meager pile. The Akatsuki member smirked before throwing white, dark green and three black chips into the pile.

"Your boyfriend's doing well," said a voice at Ino's shoulder.

Ino turned slightly to look at the woman standing next to her with a raised eyebrow. She woman was very beautiful. Her jaw length dark hair fell in a dramatic angle across her face. Her dark eyes were warm as she held out her hand. "Yamane Suzume."

"Yamanaka Ino," said the blonde kunoichi accepting the woman's hand and shaking it warmly. "You aren't the Yamane Suzume from The Man with the Golden Katana?"

The woman laughed and said, "Guilty as charged!"

Ino took another sip of her drink. "That's one of my favorite movies. Weren't you in that with…"

"Yes, I'm here with Tanaka Akio. We started dating after the movie came out last year," said Suzume.

"Then you must be doing a good job of keeping it out of the tabloids, I haven't seen any mention of your relationship."

"We prefer our privacy." Ino nodded in understanding. "I'll have a mojito." Suzume said to the bartender. Leaning back against the bar next to Ino, the actress remarked, "That man from Rain Country is really good. He's bleeding poor Akio dry. I've never heard of him before. Then again I haven't heard of your boyfriend Shikamaru before either. He's doing really well. Someone said that he win a big Poker Tournament or something in Fire Country."

Ino smiled and nodded. Suzume grinned and said, "It's neat to see a real live ninja here too. I've heard the name Uchiha before. They're really famous. I guess I can see why the Fire Daimyo wanted him to play in his stead."

"Your Mojito, Yamane-san," said the bartender from behind them. He placed the drink on a napkin in front of Suzume. The actress accepted the drink in both hands and took a sip appreciatively. Ino turned to look back at Asuma as he walked off to serve another patron.

Turning back to Ino, she continued, "I'm prepping for a role as a ninja. It's based on those best-selling books written by that Head Ninja from the Fire Country. What was his name?"

"I think his name is Jiraiya."

"Yeah, that sounds familiar. Akio and I will be in it together. We're really excited. I've been doing all this kick boxing and cardio and stuff to prep for the role."

"Are you doing your own stunts then?"

"Some of them - like the hand to hand combat. I can't do any of that magic stuff that you hear about sometimes."

"Yeah. You don't think they can actually do stuff like that?" wondered Ino.

"It does seem a little farfetched: fire breathing and teleporting and stuff."

"Definitely."

* * *

The Iron Country Diamyo's son had fallen out midway through the second blind round. Kakuzu of the Akatsuki had pressured him into going all in with his remaining 23M in chips and taken them all from him in one fell swoop.

Itachi, Shikamaru and Yakuza Takeo all had healthy portions of the other player's chips. The movie star Tanaka Akio only had 25.5M left of chips. The other participants were also down from the 100M of chips that they had started with. They had each won a round or two, but they couldn't compete with the strategy and ruthlessness of the four chip leaders. The three remaining players were each down about 20M on average; though 80M worth of chips was still enough to stay competitive in the game.

Hinata walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. She kissed him on the cheek and offered him a fresh martini. He had finished his in the first blind round.

"Thank you, darling," he said. "Enjoying the tournament?"

Hinata winked at him and said, "Very much so."

He watched her as she walked back to where Kakashi was leaning against the first bar. Tanaka Akio said to Itachi, "Your girl's quite beautiful, Uchiha-san. Is she in the modeling business in your home country? I've never seen anyone with such beautiful eyes."

"Something like that," Itachi answered tersely.

Akio laughed, "No need to be short with me, man, I'm not going to try to steal her away from you if that's your worry."

Itachi rolled his eyes. "I'm strangely comforted."

"Unless, she wants to," Akio said with a leer.

The Cloud Daimyo and the noblewoman from the Crescent Moon, Hoshi Ito, were the big and small blinds respectively this round. Itachi glanced at the two cards in front of him – pocket tens, spades and hearts. He would see what he could do with those.

The nobleman from Grass Country, Kuza Iwao, went first, throwing in the 2M to ante. Akio went next, increasing the bet to 10M. Itachi threw in two dark green chips to see the flop. The Cloud Diamyo, the big blind, folded as did Shikamaru and Kakuzu. Everyone else called the 10M bet.

"Guess I wasn't able to scare off too many of you lot," laughed Akio.

The Dealer burned the first card and then flipped over the first three cards. The Ace of Diamonds, the Ten of Spades and the Ten of Diamonds. Itachi couldn't be more pleased – he'd gotten quad tens on the flop. Now was an opportunity to get a wealth of chips from the other players.

"I check," said the Grass Country Nobleman.

Akio counted his small pile of chips. He threw in four more dark green chips. "Let's make this interesting. I'll bet 20M."

The crime boss from Tea Country, Yakuza Takeo, tossed in his cards. Standing up from the table, Takeo walked over to the bar to talk with one of the men had brought with him. Everyone but Itachi, Akio and Ito folded. The turn gave them the King of Clubs.

"All in," said Akio, sliding his remaining chips into the pot.

Itachi looked down at his chips and asked, "How much's that?"

Akio paused for a moment before taking stock of his chips. He had quite a number of the black 1M chips. "That's ten point five mill," said the moviestar.

"Alright," said Itachi plucking two white and one yellow chip from his pile. "I'll call."

Ito counted the chips from her pile as well and tossed them in. She only had a medium stack of black 1M chips and a handful of the dark green 5M ryo chips left. Itachi's stacks of black, dark green, white and purple chips didn't intimidate her. "I'll also call."

The river card was the King of Hearts. Akio who was out of chips started the final betting round by calling. Itachi eyed Hoshi Ito's pile of chips. "How much do you have left, Madam Hoshi?"

"Twenty-five and a half million," she replied.

"I'll bet 25.5M," said Itachi, throwing in a purple, a dark green and a yellow chip.

Hoshi Ito exhaled discontentedly. "What do the rest of you have?" she asked herself. "Are you trying to edge me out of the picture so you don't have to share the pot?" She slid the rest of her chips forward. "I'll call."

Akio flipped his cards over. The Dealer accepted them and said, "Aces full of Kings."

Itachi tossed the dealer his two tens. "Four Tens, a High Hand."

Akio cursed and threw in her Ace of Diamond and King of Spades. "I should have known. Well played, Uchiha-san."

"Thank you, Hoshi-san," said Itachi as he slid the large pile of chips towards himself and started arranging them into stacks.

* * *

Hanabi's team hadn't even made it out of the room before there was a complication with the first test. The chunin exam proctors had graded the tests, commanding them to all stay seated. Apparently too many teams had passed the first section of the exam. They would need to have a final portion of the first test before they could move onto the second section of the chunin exams.

Of the thirty-five or so teams that had entered the exam, twenty remained. Surprisingly, all four teams from Konoha had completed this first portion. Both of the Iwa teams had gotten through. However, the other villages haven't done as well. Only ten of the Kumo teams had passed. Of the two teams that had entered from Kiri and Suna, only one had passed. Of the ten or so teams from minor villages, only two had made it through the first round.

Hanabi, Kosho, Aoshiso were all separated from each other and taken to individual rooms off the hall from the large meeting room. Hanabi felt a cold chill of terror at being so isolated. Before she left Konoha, Neji had painted on a copy of the branch seal on her forehead to protect her. Had the Kumo ninjas seen through her fake seal?

Her sister Hinata had been kidnapped by Kumo ninjas for her Byakugan when she was only three years old. Would the same thing happen to her? She would fight them with all the strength in her body if they tried to take her eyes, but what if they sent a whole squad of jounin against her? What sort of chance would she have?

She had her Byakugan activated and her sword out when the Kumo jounin walked into the room. The blonde haired woman gave out an amused chuckled at seeing the Konoha kunoichi braced for an attack. "You can put that away, girl. I'm not here to fight you."

The woman's blonde hair was pin straight and cut in an impeccable line. Her figure was very womanly. Hanabi felt self-conscious. She would probably never be as attractive to men as this woman was.

"Hyuga Hanabi. You scored five points on the test. Your teammates Uchiha Kosho and Uchiha Aoshiso scored five and two points respectively on the exam."

"Alright," said Hanabi. "So why am I here?"

"The proctor has come to the conclusion that our pass rate was too high for this group of genin. We have decided that to pass onto the second round, each member of the team must have scored at least five points on the examination."

Hanabi cleared her throat. "I scored five points. So why am I here?"

"Your team only scored twelve points, so you are here to help determine the fate of you other team members."

Hanabi cleared her throat. "I'm listening."

"For each team whose three members do not have enough points to pass to the next portion of the exam, we would like to offer each member the opportunity to redistribute the points that you gained during the written portion of the exam."

"Redistribute?" asked Hanabi. She didn't like the sound of this.

"Yes. We will give you a chance to do one of two things. You can either cooperate with your other teammates or defect from your team."

"And what does that mean?" Hanabi asked tersely.

"Listen carefully," said the blonde woman. "The number of points you receive will be dependent on your answer as well as the answers of your two teammates. If all three of you decide to cooperate, we will distribute the points evenly among you. That is, each member of your team will be awarded four points."

"Four points?" Hanabi asked. "But you said that each member of the team needs five points to enter into the second round of the chunin exams.

"Yes," said the woman.

"So even if I cooperate, I lose one of my points to Aoshiso."

"Yes."

She hated herself for even asking, but Hanabi found that the words left her mouth before she could stop herself. "And what happens if I defect?"

"Ah," said the Kumo kunoichi. "That depends on what your other teammates do. If both of your teammates cooperate but you defect, they each receive two points and you receive eight points. If one of your teammates cooperates and the other defects, you and the other defecting member receive six points and the cooperating member receives zero."

"But I only need five points to move onto the next round. Can I donate my extra points to one of my teammates?"

"No, you may not."

"I'm assuming that the payoff is the same for my other teammates. If Aoshiso and I cooperate but Kosho defects, Aoshiso and I both are awarded two points while Kosho is awarded eight points."

"Yes."

Hanabi rubbed her hands over her tired eyes. What was she supposed to do? With the rules as they were it was impossible for her entire team to make it to the next round. Looking up at the kunoichi who was grinning at her with a cruel smile, Hanabi asked, "When do I get to talk this over with my teammates?"

The woman had the gall to laugh at her. "You can't talk this over with your teammates. Each of you much answer for yourself."

"Oh."

"I'll leave you to deliberate. When I return, I will expect your answer," said the Kumo jounin as she left the room.

Running both hands through her hair and pulling it away from her face and into a messy pile on her head, Hanabi exhaled in frustration. What was she to do? What would her teammates do? All three of them wouldn't be able to enter the next portion together. It would either be a subset of them or none of them at all.

She and Kosho had answered all the questions, Aoshiso had only answered two. Granted, she had gotten all of the answers by cheating and Aoshiso was actually able to answer two of the questions on his own. So were she and Kosho more deserving of this or was Aoshiso?

All three teammates came from noble clans, so one didn't necessarily have more riding on their performance than the other. All three had about an equal amount of pressure from their families. Hanabi's family was from the ruling Hyuga family. She was second in line for the position of clan head after her sister, Hinata.

Kosho's grandfather was an elder of his clan as well as one of the three members of the Konoha small council. His family wielded considerable power. Aoshiso on the other hand was from a smaller and less significant Uchiha family. If Hinata's friend Uchiha Sasuke's family was considered the Uchiha "Main House," then Kosho's family would be one of the lesser families of the "Main House" and Aoshiso's family would be one of the lesser families in the "Branch House."

Out of the three of them, Aoshiso had perhaps the fewest expectations upon him by his family and clan but perhaps out of the three of them, Aoshiso had the most to prove. Was it better for only one or two of them to continue onto the second test or was it better for the three to stop here and wait until next year? In Hanabi's opinion, it should either be two of them continuing or none of them at all. For two of them to continue, one would have to cooperate and the other two defect. If two of them were to continue, which two would it be? Which pair would have the greatest chance of being successful? Which pair deserved it the most?

Hanabi sighed. What had Shisui-sensei told them before they went off to the first exam?

_"Good luck all of you and remember, in the ninja world, those who break the rules are trash, that's true, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash."_

How could she show her face to Shisui-sensei after abandoning one or both of her comrades like that? A shinobi must see the hidden meaning within the hidden meanings. Was this a bluff? Just another test? Was the correct answer for all three members to cooperate? Would only teams that were united pass to the second portion of the exam?

The door creaking open startled her, but she had made her decision. "I will cooperate," she said proudly.

* * *

Ino collapsed boneless on top of him. She folded her arms on top of her chest and rested her blonde head on top of them, her breathing unsteady after their vigorous lovemaking. He ran his hands up her bare back and laid kisses up her neck. She sighed happily. "Shika, do you think we'll be able to win the tournament?"

"I think we have a good chance," he murmured. "Itachi and I are both chip leaders after all."

She sat up, straddling him. "I didn't realize that you were so good at poker. You're a man of hidden talents."

He slid his hands across her smooth, flat stomach. "Did you have any revelations about the other players? I think I've figured out Kakuzu's tell."

Leaning towards him, she captured his lips in a kiss. "I saw that too. I think it was a double bluff, Shika."

"Why would he do that?" he murmured between kisses, rolling them over so that he was on top of her.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and her ankles around his waist. "He knows that Itachi is from Konoha. Mhm … he saw the team from the cloud. He's on his guard. He wants you to think that's his tell. He's – Oh! Oh, yes! – he's hoping to trick you out of your chips."

"We'll discuss this tomorrow morning with everyone," he said with a groan. "I'm—I'm curious about what Itachi saw as well."

* * *

The first night of the poker tournament had gone well for Itachi and Shikamaru. After the three hours of play, two of the other participants had been eliminated from the competition. The Prince from Iron Country had lost very early in the night. The moviestar went out on one of the last hands of the night. The man who was sitting to the left of Itachi was able to read the other man like a book. Asuma had recognized the man's face. He was an infamous mob boss formerly of Tea Country.

Hinata tried not to show it, but seeing the participants toss in six million ryo for the big blind like it was nothing, made her stomach tie up in knots. And to think that the blinds would only increase as the tournament went on! Itachi had explained that the blinds would start at 5 million / 10 million at the start of the first blind round in the second day of the tournament. The Hyuga were a proud and wealthy clan, but she had never encountered that much money before in her life! The Uchiha were a proud and powerful clan, but they had nowhere near the financial strength of the Hyuga clan. It was amazing watching Itachi and Shikamaru play the game. They looked so comfortable at the table.

They had determined who was the Akatsuki's man relatively early in the night. His poisonous green eyes and bloody sclera were a terror to behold. His companions were no better. The violet eyed man in the slick black suit sent chills down her spine. He was extremely handsome with his slick silver hair, but his smile was predatory and dangerous. The blue haired woman with them was colder than winter. Hinata had tried to strike up a conversation with her in the bathroom as she had been touching up her mascara, but the blue haired woman's conversation was succinct and chilly. The orange haired man with them seemed very out of place with all of his piercings.

The rest of her team were running reconnaissance and discussing the game amongst themselves. They had regrouped with the team from Kumo. The Cloud Diamyo was not doing as well as the two shinobi from Konoha.

Hinata and Ino had stayed for part of the conversation. They had discussed Kakazu of the Akatsuki's play during the previous night, trying to determine his tell. Itachi and Shikamaru had both seen something in the other man's movements. Itachi was sure he had determined Kakazu's tell from when he had bluffed and then folded in an earlier round.

Ino wasn't as sure. She had seen it as well from her seat at the bar. However, she thought it was a double bluff. Ino thought the Akatsuki member wanted Itachi and Shikamaru to think that he was bluffing. When Ino voiced her opinion, Itachi had politely contradicted her. Shikamaru hadn't been as polite. It was obvious who Ino's teammate trusted more: his legendary ANBU captain instead of his lover. Fiery and Passionate, Ino had stormed out of the meeting room. Hinata gave the others an apologetic look before following the other girl out as well.

Trembling with rage as she stormed over to the elevators and hit the down button, Ino growled out, "I can't believe him. He makes me so angry sometimes."

Hinata put a hand on the other girl's arm. "Why don't we go for a walk on the boardwalk to cool down for a little bit?"

Ino smiled at her friend. "That sounds great. I'll meet you by the fifty-sixth floor elevators. Do you bring a wig and contacts too? We don't want people to recognize us. Genjutsu disguises can be dangerous on undercover missions."

"Yeah."

They stepped into the elevator and Hinata hit fifty-eight and fifty-six. Ino waved as she got off on the fifty-eighth floor. She and Shikamaru shared a room on that floor, with Asuma and Choji sleeping in the room across the hall. Hinata shared a room with Itachi on the fifty-sixth floor. Okami and Kakashi shared the room next door.

Hinata wandered over to her room as well to grab her sandals and purse. She glanced over at the carefully made king sized bed where she had slept in Itachi's arms last night.

Ino was already waiting by the elevator when Hinata wandered over. Ino had changed into a light blue sundress and was carefully applying lip gloss in the mirror across from the elevators when Hinata walked up. Ino's eyes were brown and she wore a strawberry blonde wig. Hinata looked a little funny with her now blue eyes and brown hair.

"Ready?" Hinata asked. "Do you think they have that salt water taffy stuff here?"

Ino capped her lip gloss and smiled, "Hope so."

Hinata would never get used to riding the elevators. Their speed was dizzying! Her ears would always pop as they zoomed down from the fiftith-something floor down to the casino level of the resort. Exiting the elevator, they wandered through the casino trying to find their way outside to the boardwalk. The casino felt much different in the morning than it had the night before. The lighting was the same and the hypnotizing sounds were the same, but it felt eerie. There were very few people around and those that remained where sitting by the slot machines like ghosts. It was almost difficult to tell what the hour of the day was. Had they been there all night?

Hinata thought she saw a flash of orange hair out of the corner of her eye, but when she glanced back, she saw no one there. She felt a chill run down her spine. One of the Akatsuki members had orange hair.

Hinata and Ino weaved their way through the slot machines and the now empty roulette tables. A waitress wandered over to an older woman sitting at the slot machine looking almost hypnotized by the dinging noises and spinning symbols. She handed the woman a bloody mary before wandering off to serve other patrons.

They eventually found their way out of the casino level and wandered through the shops on their way to the boardwalk. They wandered through a street based on the famous shopping district of Cloud Country and then were completely bowled over as they made their way through a replica of downtown Konoha on their way outside.

"That was…weird," Ino breathed.

"Yeah," Hinata whispered.

She closed her eyes and let the soothing sound of the waves and squawking of seagulls roll over her as they strolled along the wide boardwalk. They ignored the man pulling something resembling a rickshaw down the boardwalk when he asked if they'd like a ride. They made a face at each other after the third such man came by, looking at them expectantly.

Music came cheerfully out of one of the shops along the way, playing a song that they weren't familiar with. Ino turned to her friend and said, "Sometimes I forget what civilian villages look like, having lived in a shinobi village all my life."

Hinata looked down at her sandaled feet. "Yes. It's so unfamiliar. I wonder what Kenkaji looks like."

* * *

Hanabi eyed her two teammates. Kosho was calmly slipping on his fingerless gloves and checking his chakra levels. Aoshino was taking stock of their supplies. He had some medical training and as such was particularly interested in the antidotes and salves they carried. There were other beasts in the mountains besides the other ninjas.

They had all been taken to the entrance to the second exam separately by the Kumo ninjas who had proposed the deal. Aoshino glanced up at Hanabi in puzzlement. "Were you also taken to a room and forced to make a choice?"

"Yeah," said Hanabi. She tightened the strap of the sword strung across her back. "What did you two decide on? Did they offer you the same options? Cooperate or Defect?"

"Yep," said Kosho.

"Yeah," answered Aoshiso. "I thought that the both of you would defect, so I said cooperate so that the two of you would at least be able to continue the competition."

Hanabi looked at her Uchiha teammate curiously. "You didn't realize that it was a trap? It was a bluff."

Kosho snorted. "Kami, you almost cost us the exam, moron."

"Shut up, Kosho," Aoshiso muttered.

Of the twenty teams that had been separated from their teammates and offered an impossible decision, only fourteen teams remained. Again, all four teams from Konoha had passed. Only one of the Iwa teams had passed. The teams from Kiri and Suna had both made it through. One of the teams from a minor village passed and six of the Kumo squads made it through.

Checking their mission scroll one last time, she eyed her prey. It was the team from the sand village. She had noticed them when they went to the first test. Shisui-sensei told then that the sand ninja's sensei was Temari of the Sand, a clever strategist in possession of very strong wind ninjutsu.

"Kosho," she said as she handed him the scroll.

Holding it in his hand, he asked his teammates, "First impressions?"

Putting a hand through his wavy brown hair, Aoshino remarked, "They don't appear to be a powerhouse team. The one boy on their team could be a challenge. He knows how to handle that sword across his back. The tall blonde haired girl has a lot of senbon on her. I'm almost certain that they're laced with poison. We might not have an antidote for it. We'll have to be careful not to be pricked."

Hanabi sighed in annoyance; poison was a lot of trouble to deal with. She picked up where her other teammate left off. "The last girl on the team - the one with the brown-hair - she's the Kazekage's apprentice. No doubt she has some tricks up her sleeve."

"Do you think she can control sand like the Kazekage?" wondered Aoshino.

"Doubtful," answered Kosho.

"She doesn't carry that gourd around like the Kazekage does."

The signal exploded into the sky. The second test had begun.

"I wonder who will be after us…" voiced Aoshino. The one thought haunting his teammate's minds.

"Only time will tell."

"Who would you say would be our most dangerous adversaries?" asked Aoshino.

"I didn't like the look of that older cloud ninja team," said Hanabi. "Byakugan!"

"Three days of this hell?" growled Aoshino. "This isn't going to be any fun."


End file.
